A local expert provides five recommendations on a topic useful to small business owners. This week, management consultant Ellen Castro talked to staff writer Hanah Cho on being a “spirited leader.”

Castro is a Dallas-based motivational speaker, management consultant and author of Spirited Leadership: 52 Ways to Build Trust. She works with startups, small businesses and Fortune 500 companies as well as nonprofits.

1. Change your thoughts, change your world

Thoughts have power. Be positive, constructive and solution-focused. Begin today walking into every meeting with the thought: “I am a champion. I am equipped.” Live from the possibilities. You are far more powerful than you imagine.

2. We are our choices

Your choices define you — not your DNA, past or environment. With faith and better choices, spirited leaders live a life of authenticity and awesomeness. Be the first to smile and be generous with encouragement and praise.

3. Live consciously

Everything communicates. There are no neutral actions. You are always on stage. Everything either adds to your credibility or detracts from your credibility. Credibility is the foundation for trust and meaningful conversations that inspire and motivate innovation, collaboration, teamwork and greatness.

4. Redefine failure

There are no failures, only learnings. Everything is a coaching moment. Everyone is your teacher. The only “failure” is not getting back up. Learnings build character, strength, compassion and wisdom to better serve others — to help their paths be easier, lighter and brighter.

5. It’s all about trust

Spirited leaders know that life is for them. They believe that everything works together for good. They trust they are always moving forward regardless of appearances. Setbacks are simply setups for comebacks. They radiate their message with a confidence that allows others to skyrocket to success regardless of external factors.

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Voice Is Power. Great leaders communicate their drive, passion and commitment not simply in their rhetoric, but embody them in the tones of their voices, through their body language, in the very sinews of who they are. As Arthur says, "People do not say to an individual, 'Your voice is tense or your voice is anxious.' They may, however, say, 'You are tense or you are anxious.'" The following tips will help you communicate confidently, effectively and authentically at all times:

1. Communication is not merely data. Please do not deliver as you type. Be strategic and mindful.

2. 'The meeting begins before you walk in the room'. Do not bustle, carry your Self in Conscious Awareness embodying the leader you want to be known as.

3. Always embody the axiom: 'It is not only the message, but the messenger that matters'. It is not merely what we say, but how we say it.

4. Never aspire to competence. To be competent is to be proficient. Rather, aspire to excellence -- a commitment to being exceptional.

5.        In Communication Mastery/Integrative Leadership leaders ennoble. They do not subjugate. Treat everyone with respect.

6.        Leadership excellence begins with 'leading by example'.

7.        Create a Persona Statement -- your personal brand. This will form the basis of how you want to be known, not merely in what you do but who you are.

8.        The routine is never routine. To become a great Champion in sport or in life requires 'not just reps' but quality reps.

9.        Our mouth is not 'our mind outloud'. Be strategic.

10.      "Breath is fuel." If it is important enough to say, it is important enough to breathe before you say it. It is the trigger that shifts your communication from unconscious/habitual to Conscious Awareness.

You do have a choice in how you are known. When you integrate your deeper Self through your voice you will fulfill your Vision and become a truly extraordinary Leader. This is Vocal Leadership.

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Commencement season is upon us, when college presidents and business leaders offer words of wisdom to graduates entering the "real world." But at a time when the college presidency has become a high-risk occupation and CEO turnover is accelerating, with 131 leaving their jobs in January alone, maybe they could benefit from some words of wisdom.

What makes someone successful in a leadership position? We offer the following list of helpful hints. Many we learned along the way, through our time in academia and serving on corporate boards. Some we discovered by failing to do them ourselves, and others we picked up from our mentors and colleagues.

1. Think first, talk later. Everything you say will be taken literally. An offhand comment or ill-considered joke, once it has made its way through the local gossip vine or the national blogs, is guaranteed to haunt you. Don't ever think you're "off the record."

2. Talk less, listen more. This is especially true for a new leader brought in from the outside. Folks will immediately ask for your "vision" for transforming the place. This is a test: No one can reasonably expect a detailed plan before you understand the place's idiosyncrasies. Do not offer a grand plan before one exists.

3. Show up. Every constituency wants you to be physically in the room on important occasions; they don't want your surrogate. What you actually do when you get there--offer a toast, introduce a speaker, tell a quick story to kick off an event--may be less important than your physical presence.

4. Engage veteran employees. Spend time with those who have devoted their lives to the place, leaving their mark on future generations. Take them to lunch and hear their stories. You want them on your side and you'll learn from them.

5. Don't ignore the staff. In companies, they are the face of the business. At colleges, members of the staff are educators as well, whether they work in dining services, the career center or in advising. They interact closely with students, who often adore them.

6. Customers want to be consulted. CEOs understand this better than many in higher education, but college presidents should realize: Students insist on being taken seriously. You don't always have to do what customers want, but you do need to seek their input. It is better to tell someone you have thoughtfully considered his or her suggestion than to give the impression you don't care.

7. Answer nearly all messages. This relates to the previous point. When someone writes you because she read or heard something you or your organization purportedly said or did, sending a reply will save you trouble down the road. The reply can be brief, but a personal response is warranted unless the writer is abusive or seems dangerous.

8. Use the board of trustees or directors. Boards should never be patronized or kept in the dark. They can be your ally if you respect their time and efforts. College presidents sometimes struggle with boards because we rarely had to accept authority during our faculty days. The board is your boss, and if you don't like that, then keep your résumé up to date.

9. Community relations matter. Remind people that your organization is fortunate to be wherever it is located, and that locals are also fortunate to have your organization there. Bad relations with the local community can interfere with everything--building projects, programming, the provision of public services. All parties want to get along, and you generally will find that any effort you make will be graciously accepted and rewarded.

10. Don't take things personally. Many bad things are going to happen, and you will be blamed for most of them. Faculty, staff, students and alumni, and likewise, customers, employees, suppliers and regulators, can exercise amazingly bad judgment, imperiling themselves and the good name of your organization. Many of the most spirited attacks have more to do with the attacker than with you. Don't beat yourself up, and remember that things are never as bad as they look.

11. Don't believe the hype. Things aren't as good either. If you are tempted to trumpet your company's quarterly returns or latest, greatest product; your school's academic rankings, athletic record and fundraising success; or your own popularity, you are setting yourself up for a fall. Hyping short-term success can undermine long-term progress.

12. Don't neglect your health. You will be fed constantly at meetings and events. If you eat everything in front of you, expect to gain much more than the "freshman 15." Reserve time to enjoy your life. If jogging is your thing, make time to run. If it is attending religious services, do so regularly. Some presidents wonder how they can find the time to do those sorts of things. The answer is simple: Act like a president and take control of your schedule.

Mr. Glassner is president and a professor of sociology at Lewis & Clark College. Mr. Schapiro is president and a professor of economics at Northwestern University.

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Adults need a learning environment that reinforces their ability to apply the information received in training back on the job. This can be somewhat accomplished by class discussion and talking about what to do based on case study content. The learning becomes more relevant with practice on the job that is then shared back in the training session.

Working with a client recently, I asked the participants to practice giving or receiving feedback or resolving a conflict in some situation that would occur between scheduled class sessions. (I always try to provide a choice so that each person encounters some situation in which they can practice. After all, I don't want to encourage them to go out and start conflicts, as an example.) They brought several interesting summaries of their experience trying to implement the ideas learned in training. We all learned from their shared experiences.

But, the most important concept that I have learned about training over the years is that the training must echo and reinforce the company's values and desired leadership and management style. So, it's best done internally by someone who knows the company and its desired culture. That is how you train the organization's leadership brand; it is how you ensure employee learning and training transfer. This is how I have provided training - always. Outside seminars and workshops have their place in leadership development, but the fundamentals must come with consistency and a shared vision of what the organization is trying to create.

So, imagine my delight when I received this book excerpt from Dave Ulrich and Norm Smallwood (pictured) about using training to help organizations develop their leadership brand. It exactly reinforces what I believe and you'll enjoy and learn from their training tips.

Is anyone befuddled by the fall from grace of so many leaders? Is anyone befuddled by the choices some leaders make as if nobody is watching? Is anyone captivated by the word befuddled? OK, maybe that last one is just me.

Let's be very clear. Part of the challenge for leaders is that they are all human. And as humans, we are all flawed. That being said, what is effective leadership? Is it a title? Is it achieving goals? Is it inspiring others? Is it seeing a unique vision?

Leadership is a combination of practical skills and personal values that, when used together; create an atmosphere in which people feel valued and motivated to pursue a clear vision. It's like Kung Fu meets Feng Shui (that works much better phonetically than in writing).

I've spent a lot of time thinking about leadership over the past year, as I just finished my term as president of the National Speakers Association, the association for professional speakers, trainers and consultants. Ironically, our acronym is NSA -- but we're not the ones who listen, we're the ones who talk!

In my role as president, I was the chairperson for the board of directors, appointed and oversaw nearly 40 volunteer leaders, and was an ambassador to 38 chapters here in the U.S. and to nine international associations all over the world. So, I got a good dose of leadership experience.

The following are some concepts that I rediscovered during the past year.

1. Leadership is not always what you do but how you do it. I've seen people in leadership roles who have a great vision for where their organization needs to go but the way they manage the process and the way they treat people becomes a barrier to their success. Leaders who embrace humility, graciousness, and attend to their people, will not only achieve more but have more support along the way. (Note, this did not apply to Steve Jobs. Just saying.)

2. Effective leaders know their limitations. Most leaders have specific gifts and skills. They can't be good at everything. An effective leader recognizes limitations and attracts other people to compliment his/her skills.

3. Great leaders have a sense of humor. There are many examples of leaders using humor to engage others, disarm conflict and lighten the mood. President Ronald Reagan, Tony Hsieh of Zappos, and First Lady Michelle Obama have used humor effectively in their leadership roles. A leader who has a sense of humor, especially about themselves, appears more confident and attracts confidence from others.

4. Leaders do what needs to be done. An effective leader is willing to do what needs to be done to move the organization forward. Whether this requires having difficult conversations with a staff member, covering for a colleague who is ill, or making the right decision rather than the easy decision, a leader who does what needs to be done is a leader worth following.

5. Leadership is a service and not a destination. Sometimes people seek a position of leadership for the position itself. They may desire the power or the acclaim that goes with the position. However, a leader that seeks to serve rather than to be served will always be more effective.

6. With great power comes great responsibility. This classic line from Spiderman reinforces the idea that leaders must own their responsibility during the good times and the bad times. Leaders who relinquish responsibility to avoid taking blame usually dig a much deeper hole for themselves. Leaders who step up to their responsibility generate more trust and respect.

There are a lot of leadership books on the market today. But one of the best indications of effective leadership is not just what is accomplished but how the people being led to those accomplishments view the leader and the process.

Some people are born leaders. From a young age, they exhibit the qualities one typically looks for in a good leader: They're passionate, show integrity, inspire and motivate others, and have a strong take-charge attitude. Employers and executives recognize this, and these "born leaders" are often first in line for promotions to leadership roles.

But individuals who have leadership potential don't simply become leaders overnight. It's up to existing leaders to train the next generation, showing them how to guide a group of people toward a specific vision or goal. Whether your company has a structured training program or you simply teach by example, here are a few key things to keep in mind when you're training future leaders.

Choose the right person

While certain individuals may seem like shoe-ins for a leadership position based on their personality or their current role within a company, it's crucial to take all performance and experience factors into account before determining their leadership candidacy.

"Before you start teaching and enhancing the skills of a leader, you have to start with the right person," said Brian Sullivan, executive vice president of sales and management training firm Sandler Training. "This person should have a track record of success [in their current role] and have already exhibited leadership traits. Not everything they'll be doing as a leader is necessarily something they've done before, but these two fundamental items are the springboard for any type of training."

Sullivan also told leaders not to allow favoritism to come into play when choosing a successor, and make a decision based solely on a candidate's qualifications.

Build their listening skills

One of the most important skills a leader can acquire is how to listen. A true leader always takes his or her team's feedback into account when making decisions. This skill can be taught by being a good listener yourself.

"Always listen to the input you receive, and act on it," said Guryan Tighe, chief culture officer of Highwire Public Relations. "If you have only your own agenda in mind, you can't truly hear others' input and potentially, the next great idea. Make sure your business is set up to stimulate people around you to create and take initiative. For example, ask the trainees about their training experience, as this encourages an environment focused on growth and development."

Help them craft a future vision

"Vision" is a word that is commonly thrown around in reference to leaders, but what does it really mean? Denise Brosseau, CEO of Thought Leadership Lab, believes it involves the ability to inspire others to see a future worth striving for.

"[Leaders should] focus on crafting a compelling vision of the future that they will work to bring about," said Brosseau, author of "Ready to Be a Thought Leader?" (Jossey-Bass, 2014). "This future must be something they are passionate about, but they must also have the credibility and experience to make progress toward achieving it."

Teaching leadership candidates how to create and articulate their own future vision will help them when it comes time to actually execute plans to get there.

Find a leader works for everybody else

If a leadership candidate seems more excited about being "the boss" who's in charge of others, he or she probably isn't the best person for the job. A good leader knows that his or her job is working for everybody else, said Dale Falcinelli, chairman of the advisory council at Lehigh University's Baker Institute for Entrepreneurship.

"Leadership is an executive club, and it shouldn't be taken for granted," Falcinelli told Business News Daily. "Leaders aren't caught up with the notion of people working for them. They'll have the passion and drive to get where they need to go, and they'll know that to get there, they have to work for and through other people."

On the surface, the difference between a step and a stumble seems obvious.

But in business, plotting long and hard to climb into a leadership role often is indistinguishable from inadvertently falling into one. The fact is, whether you take a deliberate step toward an objective or immediately trip on a shoelace, you may end up in the same spot. Put another way, many people who have a laser focus on getting to the top make it there no faster than those who have a leadership opportunity thrust upon them.

Yet knowing the difference between thoughtful business leadership and the kind that happens seemingly by accident is critical—not only in your ability to grow and develop as a leader, but to establish a pattern of success that's deliberate, not miraculous.

Here, then, are eight attributes that separate genuine leadership from leadership that's more a matter of chance:

1. Real leadership means leading yourself. Passing out orders is as easy as passing out business cards. But a prudent leader also knows how to lead himself or herself—not merely to provide a genuine example to others, but to become a working element of the overall machinery of your business. "It's important that leaders have the ability to focus and motivate themselves as they motivate others," says Larraine Segil, an author and consultant who teaches executive education at the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena.

2. Don't be a monarch. Thoughtful leadership likely means you already have a talented work force in place. That's terrific. But be careful not set up a throne room in the process. Accidental leaders often inadvertently establish a system of guidance that's unnecessarily restrictive. Guide employees, but don't implement more parameters than are absolutely necessary. "It's important to influence the people with whom you work," says Segil. "Don't see your business as a hierarchy."

3. Be open to new ways of doing things. One potential land mine of a prosperous operation is to repeat anything that proves successful. It's hard to argue against that, but an inadvertent leader will put far too much stock in sticking with what always works. By contrast, thoughtful leadership acknowledges success but also recognizes there are always ways to do things better.

4. Remember that white males are fast becoming a minority. Statistics show that white males now make up only a small fraction of the workplace population. Couple that with growing partnerships across borders, and it becomes obvious that blending a variety of cultures and backgrounds in a work environment is an essential leadership skill. A thoughtless leader will try to cope with this as best as he can. One with more vision will work to take advantage of differences. "Competition—the constant push for faster, better, cheaper — mandates that we learn to effectively deal with differences in the workplace," says career consultant Susan Eckert of Advance Career and Professional Development in Brightwaters, N.Y. A company that weaves an appreciation of diversity into its cultural fabric will make itself "unbeatable," Eckert says.

5. Establish a genuine sense of commitment. I must admit this is a personal sore point with me. I've seen too many company slogans and catch phrases whose import is no deeper than the paper they're written on. Want to be "committed to superior service"? More power to you, but a genuine leader will see that as words and little else. Instead, put some meat on those bones—establish how to quantify excellence, design a cogent plan to achieve it, and set a reasonable but real timetable for its completion.

6. Finish the job. Many business leaders yak about their complete game, but how many actually finish what they say they're going to start? A thoughtless leader who never genuinely finishes anything loses the confidence of clients and customers. That lack of follow-through isn't going to be lost on his or her employees, either. Instead, set goals and establish pragmatic, accountable measures to actually finish what you start. "The ability to complete things is critical," Segil says. "Nothing's useful unless you actually complete it."

7. Show genuine appreciation. Thoughtless leaders must have forearms like Popeye's, what with all the back-slapping they do. That's fine, but good performance requires a more substantive response. Leaders with an eye to the future hand out praise but augment it with real rewards: promotions, raises, bonuses, and other tangible tokens of appreciation. That motivates your people, not only to apply themselves with enthusiasm but to stick around your company longer than they might otherwise.

8. Know that leadership skills come from learning, too. Far too may business executives believe leadership skills stem from some sort of wondrous epiphany or other such flash of insight. Sure, great ideas can come to any of us, but being a bona fide leader also means study. Read books on effective leadership, attend seminars, and pick the brains of colleagues to see what works for them. It can be a long education, but one with rewards that multiply with the more knowledge you have under your belt.

Young people who run businesses have particular advantages.

Heading up any organization is a thrilling privilege, especially when it’s your own. Young entrepreneurs today have a wealth of opportunity at their fingertips, and with practices like remote networking, borderless resourcing and even crowdsourcing, creating a business and achieving success in the marketplace is a real-world possibility. So what's the best way to build a great business as a young person? Here are my tips.
 

1.) Surround yourself with experts

As a leader, you should never settle for “just anyone.” When it comes to building your leadership team (and your greater business), seek out passionate and forward-thinking people who are experts and leaders in their field.

Learn as much as you can from them and gain their input and advice on every big decision you make – from product to strategy to operations to finance, and so on. In the long run, these people will help shape your company culture and direction and they’ll turn you into a stronger leader.

2.) Stay on top of tech

Technology is becoming the driving force in a growing number of new industries and is rapidly taking over existing industries. As a leader, it’s imperative that you (and your team) keep up with tech trends and stay on the frontline of new developments – anything that crops up that can make your product better or deliver further innovation should not be ignored.

In Australia, for instance, this is particularly critical in the retail sector. Retailers, writes John Riccio from professional services firm PwC, “need to innovate if they are to remain relevant to the connected consumer.”

As a result, many retailers are being pushed by consumers to offer more accessibility and better services via various technological means, and the ones who don’t are likely to fall quickly behind - and many already have.

3.) Only take calculated risks

Hamdi Ulukaya, who founded Chobani and won Ernst & Young’s World Entrepreneur Of The Year Award last year said, “If you’re afraid of losing money, you will not make it to success.”

This is true for every start-up, but young leaders need to recognize that risk doesn’t mean just making a wild decision and then going for it.

Every risk you take, even the smallest one, must be thoroughly calculated. If you don’t calculate, your business will eventually fail. Projections (particularly financial), strategy options and risk management plans must be in place before the first step is actioned.

4.) Know when to delegate and when not to delegate

There’s a big difference between having to do everything yourself and wanting to do it yourself for the sake of learning.

While there will be plenty of things you can delegate early on, taking on business tasks and learning the ropes (just like an employee) will give you a much more thorough and in-depth understand of how your business runs and operates.

In turn, this will provide you with insight into how you can improve your approaches and procedures and will ultimately make your management, operations and leadership better.

5.) Keep innovating and evolving your product - even if you think it’s perfect, there will always be better

Many start-ups have a fantastic product/service when they first come to market. But once your product is out there, it’s important that you continue to improve, expand and develop what you’ve created. This is how you remain competitive.

This type of evolution is essential if you want your start-up to be successful in five, 10 or 20 years.

Consider how Richard Branson’s Virgin has moved from being a simple airline to an organization offering “astronaut” flights into outer space via Virgin Galactic - Innovation!

It might seem like an extreme way to “dream big”, but Branson realized there was much potential in the air/space travel arena and his ability to innovate at this level means that Virgin will continue to grow and innovate well into the future.

Today’s corporation exists in an increasingly complex and ever-shifting ocean of change. As a result, leaders need to rely more than ever on the intelligence and resourcefulness of their staff. Collaboration is not a “nice to have” organizational philosophy. It is an essential ingredient for organizational survival and success.


One my most popular speaking topics is “The Power of Collaborative Leadership.” (In fact, this year I’m presenting this seminar in five countries. The topic’s popularity stems from corporate clients realizing that “silo mentality” and knowledge hoarding behaviors are wasting the kind of collective brainpower that could save their organization billions. Or lead to the discovery of a revolutionary new process or product. Or, in the current economic climate, help keep their company afloat when others are sinking!

And it’s not just corporate profits that suffer when collaboration is low: the workforce loses something too. Individuals lose the opportunity to work in the kind of inclusive environment that energizes teams, releases creativity and makes working together both productive and joyful.

Here are eight tips for building collaboration in your team or organization:

1.) Realize that silos can kill your business. Silo mentality is a mindset present when certain departments or sectors do not wish to share information with others in the same company. This type of mentality will reduce efficiency in the overall operation, reduce morale, and may contribute to the demise of a productive company culture. Silo is a business term that has been passed around and discussed in many boardrooms over the last 30 years. Unlike many other trendy management terms this is one issue that has not disappeared. Silos are seen as a growing pain for organizations of all sizes. Wherever it’s found, a silo mentality becomes synonymous with power struggles, lack of cooperation, and loss of productivity.

2.) Build your collaboration strategy around the “human element.” In trying to capture and communicate the cumulative wisdom of a workforce, the public and private sectors have invested hundreds of millions of dollars in portals, software, and intranets. But collaboration is more than the technology that supports it, and even more than a business strategy aimed at optimizing a organization’s experience and expertise. Collaboration is, first and foremost, a change in attitude and behavior of people throughout an organization. Successful collaboration is a human issue. Take a look at this video clip to see what IBM found out about people and collaboration.

3.) Use collaboration as an organizational change strategy. Over the past 25 years, I’ve worked with a variety of very talented leaders, and one thing I know for sure: Regardless of how creative, smart and savvy a leader may be, he or she can’t transform an organization, a department or a team without the brain power and commitment of others. Whether the change involves creating new products, services, processes – or a total reinvention of how the organization must look, operate, and position itself for the future – success dictates that the individuals impacted by change be involved in the change from the very beginning.

4.) Make visioning a team sport. Today’s most successful leaders guide their organizations not through command and control, but through a shared purpose and vision. These leaders adopt and communicate a vision of the future that impels people beyond the boundaries and limits of the past. But if the future vision belongs only to top management, it will never be an effective motivator for the workforce. The power of a vision comes truly into play only when the employees themselves have had some part in its creation.

5.) Utilize diversity in problem solving. Experiments at the University of Michigan found that, when challenged with a difficult problem, groups composed of highly adept members performed worse than groups whose members had varying levels of skill and knowledge. The reason for this seemingly odd outcome has to do with the power of diverse thinking. Group members who think alike or are trained in similar disciplines with similar bases of knowledge run the risk of becoming insular in their ideas. Diversity causes people to consider perspectives and possibilities that would otherwise be ignored.

6.) Help people develop relationships. The outcome of any collaborative effort is dependent upon well-developed personal relationships among participants. Not allowing time for this can be a costly mistake. For example, all too often, in the rush to get started on a project, team leaders put people together and tell them to “get to work.” You’ll get better results if your give your group time (upfront) to get to know one another, to discover each other’s strengths and weaknesses, to build personal ties, and to develop a common understanding about the project.

7.) Focus on building trust. Trust is the belief or confidence that one party has in the reliability, integrity and honesty of another party. It is the expectation that the faith one places in someone else will be honored. It is also the glue that holds together any group. I recently conducted a survey of middle managers in an attempt to pinpoint the state of trust and knowledge sharing in their various organizations. What I found is a crisis of trust: suspicious and cynical employees are disinclined to collaborate — sharing knowledge is still perceived as weakening a personal “power base.” Leaders demonstrate their trust in employees by the open, candid, and ongoing communication that is the foundation of informed collaboration.

8.) Watch your body language. To show that you are receptive to other people’s ideas, uncross your arms and legs. Place your feet flat on the floor and use open palm gestures (which is a body language display inviting others into the conversation). If you want people to give you their ideas, don’t multi-task while they do. Avoid the temptation to check your text messages, check your watch, or check out how the other participants are reacting. Instead, focus on those who are speaking by turning your head and torso to face them directly and by making eye contact. Leaning forward is another nonverbal way to show you’re engaged and paying attention, as is head tilting. (The head tilt is a universal gesture of giving the other person an ear.) To encourage team members to expand on their comments, nod your head using clusters of three nods at regular intervals.

Centered Leadership is a tested leadership program gaining many benefits from it. This leading executive development program introduces excellent, modern leadership abilities to executives, senior and middle management personnel.

Shearing Group Centered Leadership is an effective vehicle to a new leadership approach in the 21st Century. It is designed to bring out the hidden potential of your people and to mentor them to achieve in an atmosphere of trust and respect. It empowers each one in an organization to attain outstanding results. It produces a mode of leadership – a well-rounded set of skills – to allow you and the company to grow and progress. It is an approach toward individual change and consistent improvement. It is a leadership program developed to effectively create a difference.

Our training programs aim to:

• Transform managers into effective leaders.

• Improve profitability, cooperation, integration and customer/client service.

• Develop personal accountability in attaining results.

• Motivate personnel; create a culture of accomplishment, trust, respect, and fun.

• Address crisis through reducing management problems.

• Effectively foster increased results in target achievement and success.

• Provide dynamic and interactive modules through a small class size (10 participants).

Program Description:

Centered Leadership engenders an environment where shared decisions allow members inside an organization to grow, develop personal accountability and responsibility for actions and results attained. What arises is a corporate culture where proper leadership qualities and personal abilities are not merely acquired by a few; they can be provided to as many people as possible, and eventually, allowing them to work effectively as a harmonious unit to produce greater success. Participants are inspired to describe the challenges they encounter at the workplace and to create practical and actual solutions during every session. The facilitator, action plans, case-studies, workbooks, self-assessments, spaced and multi-sensory learning methods act as effective tools and structures to facilitate practical application.

Becoming a leader at work can be a challenge. You want to be a leader but you do not carry the title. So, how do you go about positioning yourself as a leader at work?

There are many ways, but listed below are some that comes to mind. You can use these actions that will inevitably position yourself as a leader at work without being too obvious about your ambitions.

If you want to become a leader at work, incorporate these actions into your daily routine:

1. Take Responsibility

You want to be a leader at work, learn to take responsibility for anything that has your fingerprint on it. That means, as long as you participate in the project, you have a hand at the failure of the project.

Learn to take responsibility for not just the good things, but even bad ones. Admit to your mistakes - it’s okay to be wrong. You cannot learn if you have not made any mistakes.


2. Believe In Win-Win

A rising tide lifts all boats – always think win-win. It exists. Just because the world thinks the business world is nasty, and that you need to be manipulative and maneuvering to win, you need not participate in it.

In fact, make it your contribution not to be nasty and bullying in your ways. You want to be a leader at work, believe in your hands as leader to change the world.

The power of positive influence you have on the people around you and the power to inspire people to greater heights is in front of you.


3. Push The Envelope

Try new things. Take some risk. Make yourself uncomfortable. Do the things that may risk making you look foolish – what do you have to lose? Leaders take risks. They are not afraid of doing what they believe.

What do you believe in that you are willing to take some risk? To be a leader at work, you need to take even simple risks like taking on the project no one wants.


4. Do It, Write It

I have often said this. This world is full of people who talk too much and don’t do enough. If you want to be a leader at work, act upon something. Work that plan.

If you have any ideas that are simmering in your mind, write it down. It doesn’t matter if it’s not a plan yet, just write it down.

If you don’t write it down, there is no one to present to and there is no record of the idea. How can it count? If you want to be a leader at work, you have practice writing down everything.


5. See Opportunities Everywhere

There is no need to create opportunities for yourself to lead. The opportunities to lead are everywhere. You need to be mindful of these opportunities.

I have just mentioned one earlier. Are there any opportunities to take on the project no one wants? If you don’t see opportunities everywhere, you are missing the point.


6. Be Open

Be open to criticism, otherwise you are just living off yourself. What does it mean? When you are open to feedback, you are being fed ideas from others that are free. Often times, these ideas come from people smarter than you. They will give you tips on how to improve and how to be better.

That’s what a leader needs - constant feedback. You need feedback to be a leader at work, otherwise you are “feed-own” (I just created that word to mean feeding yourself) and you will go hungry soon. With no new ideas, a leader dries up.


7. Give, Give, Give

That’s how you open up. Pour out all you got from inside you. Give all you have ideas, thoughts, plans. Feel the vulnerability and learn to like it. When you pour all your ideas out you will need new ones. Where do new ideas come from? From critics who want to tear you down, from well-meaning supporters and from people you least expect.

More comes back to you. You have more to input. It enriches you. That’s how you become a leader at work.

These are the seven actions to position yourself as a leader at work. You want to be a leader at work? Do not be afraid of taking risks. You have more to gain than lose when you open up.

Neurologist Dr. Romie Mushtaq says that there’s science that supports the benefits of being focused and “in the moment.”

Employers such as Google, eBay, Intel and General Mills offer classes on it. So do Harvard Business School, Ross School of Business and Claremont Graduate University, among other campuses. Mindfulness is not just a social media buzzword or a corporate trend, but a proven method for success, according to neurologist Dr. Romie Mushtaq.

Mindfulness – being focused and fully present in the here and now – is good for individuals and good for a business’s bottom line, according to her.

How can people practice it in a workplace where multitasking is the norm, and concerns for future profits can add to workplace stress? (More than 80 percent of employees report being stressed at work.)

“Even if a company doesn’t make it part of the culture, employees and managers can substitute their multitasking habits with mindfulness in order to reduce stress and increase productivity,” says Mushtaq. “The result that you and your colleagues will notice is that you’re sharper, more efficient and more creative.”

Mushtaq, who is a mind-body medicine physician and neurologist at the Center for Natural and Integrative Medicine in Orlando, Fla., did her medical education and training at the Medical University of South Carolina, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center and University of Michigan, where she won numerous teaching and research awards. She says the physiological benefits of clearing away distractions and living in the moment have been documented in many scientific and medical studies.

“Practicing mindfulness, whether it’s simply taking deep breaths, or actually meditating or doing yoga, has been shown to alter the structure and function of the brain, which is what allows us to learn, acquire new abilities, and improve memory,” she says. “Advances in neuroimaging techniques have taught us how these mindfulness-based techniques affect neuroplasticity.”

Multitasking, on the other hand, depresses the brain’s memory and analytical functions, says Mushtaq, and it reduces blood flow to the part of the right temporal lobe, which contributes to creative thinking. In today’s marketplace, she adds, creativity is key for innovation, sustainability and leadership.

Mushtaq offers these tips for practicing mindfulness in a multitasking business:

Focus on a single task for an allotted amount of time. You might say, “For 15 minutes, I’m going to read through my emails, and then for one hour, I’m going to make my phone calls,” suggests Mushtaq.

If your job comes with constant interruptions that demand your attention, take several deep breaths and then prioritize them. Resist the urge to answer the phone every time it rings (unless it’s your boss). If someone asks you to drop what you’re doing to help with a problem, it’s OK to tell them, “I’ll be finished with what I’m doing in 10 minutes, then I’m all yours.”

When you get “stuck” in a task, change your physical environment to stimulate your senses. Sometimes we bounce from one task to another because we just don’t have the words to begin writing that strategic plan, or we’re staring at a problem and have no ideas for solutions.

“That’s the time to get up, take a walk outside and look at the flowers and the birds – change what you’re seeing,” Mushtaq says. “Or turn on some relaxing music that makes you feel happy.”

Offering your senses pleasant and different stimulation rewires your brain for relaxation, and reduces the effects of stress hormones, which helps to unfreeze your creativity center.

Delegate! We often have little control over the external stresses in our lives, particularly on the job. How can you not multitask when five people want five different things from you at the same time?

“Have compassion for yourself, and reach out for help,” advises Mushtaq. “If you can assign a task to somebody else who’s capable of handling it, do so. If you need to ask a colleague to help you out, ask!”

This will not only allow you to focus on the tasks that most need your attention, it will reduce your stress, she says. “And who knows? The colleague you’re asking for help may want to feel appreciated and part of your team!"

While it is possible to practice mindfulness in a hectic workplace, Mushtaq says she encourages business leaders to make it part of the company culture. Stress-related illnesses are the No. 1 cause of missed employee workdays.

“Offering mindfulness training and yoga classes or giving people time and a place to meditate is an excellent investment,” she says. “Your company’s performance will improve, you’ll see a reduction in stress-related illnesses and you’ll be a more successful businessperson.”

1) Communicate a clear vision

"A lot depends on where your university is and what you want the vice-chancellor to do. Do you need more student recruitment? Do you need more research grant money? So often the university strategic plan says things like, ' Be the best world-leading university at, er, everything. ' Well, sorry, but we don't believe you. Some universities – I am thinking De Montfort, Coventry, or Sheffield – have strategic plans you can actually believe, and at least one of those universities have linked the vice-chancellor's pay explicitly to whether that job got done. "(officeslob, commenter)

2) Trust your staff

"It is an essential quality of any leader that they should develop and empower their staff. This means trusting them to innovate and get on with things without always looking over their shoulder or filling a form to say they've done something. " (Sue Shepherd, higher education management consultant, University of Kent)

3) Be fair

"Academics are slightly strange animals and difficult to lead (and we all know they are difficult to manage!) – very individualistic and therefore many may not be considered team players. However all academics want to work in organisations where they are treated fairly e.g. don't bully someone for not being REFable when their admin/teaching workload is enormous etc. " (Paula Nicolson, emeritus professor, Royal Holloway, University of London)

4) Appoint good people

"I see ' leaderful ' practices in classrooms, research teams and student-led activity throughout the HE sector. Sometimes this is found despite prevailing managerial cultures in institutions; sometimes it is purposefully engendered by leaders dispersed through universities whose activity seems clearly-defined by enacting their values and their belief in the potential of higher education to engage and transform. " (Paul Gentle, Leadership Foundation for Higher Education)

5) Value all staff

"Universities need to value their staff – permanent and casual. Many casual staff are the academics and administrative managers of the future and need to be engaged by the leaders because both have a future together. " (Paula Nicolson)

"I would like people to reflect on whom exactly is being led by these visionary leaders; from my experience, an army of casual, underpaid and underprotected temporary staff, tasked with delivering teaching, marking and support to students. It suits management and sadly, it suits the permanent members of staff, relieved of their boring teaching duties and more able to work on their research and seek external funding. This is the model, let's not forget it in this fog of management-speak and emotional intelligence talk. " (Enheduanna, commenter).

Want to Be a Good Leader? Step One: Know Thyself

What is the most important characteristic of a leader? Some might say it's integrity. Others may say that it's being a good motivator. But psychologist and author Sherrie Campbell believes that self-awareness — the ability to monitor one's own emotions and reactions — is the key factor in leadership success.

"Self-awareness keeps us grounded, attuned and focused," said Campbell, author of "Loving Yourself: The Master of Being Your Own Person" (AuthorHouse, 2012). "When leaders are grounded, they are able to be efficient and deliberate in staying on task, and being attuned to those around them. Leaders who have the ability to control their minds and emotions help to guide those around them to develop their own self-knowledge and success."

Learning to be aware of yourself isn't always easy, but mastering this skill can help you become a much more effective leader. Campbell shared these seven tips for improving self-awareness. [4 Tips For Teaching Leadership Skills]

• Keep an open mind. When you have the ability to regulate your own emotional world, you can be attuned the emotions of others. To be a successful leader, you have to be curious about new people and all they have to offer. This shows that you can be a team player, and don't need to be No. 1. The more open you are to others, the more creative you become.

• Be mindful of your strengths and weaknesses. Self-aware individuals know their own strengths and weaknesses and are able to work from that space. Being mindful of this means that you know when to reach out for assistance, and when you are good on your own.

• Stay focused. Making connections with those around you is important as a leader. But you can't make those connections if you're distracted. Train yourself to focus for long periods of time without getting sucked into social media, emails and other small distractions.

• Set boundaries. A leader needs to have strong boundaries in place. Be warm toward others, but say no when you need to say no. Be serious about your work and your passions, and keep your boundaries firm to maintain the integrity of your goals and the work you put into them.

• Know your emotional triggers. Self-aware individuals are able to identify their emotions as they are happening. Don't repress your emotions or deny their causes; instead, be able to bend and flex with them, and fully process them before communicating with others.

• Embrace your intuition. Successful people trust their gut instincts and take the risks associated with them. Your instincts are based on the survival of the fittest and the need to succeed. They tell us what to do next.  Learn to trust these and use them.
• ·

Practice self-discipline. Good leaders tend to be disciplined at work and in every area of their life. It is a character trait that provides them with the enduring focus necessary for strong leadership.

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It is easy to focus on leadership from a top down perspective, especially in a paramilitary organization like a fire department. Yet, good fire chiefs know that their ability to lead is as much due to the power vested in them from those holding lesser rank as it is from those higher up.

In his blog, “Learning from Subordinates” leadership expert and founder of Partners in Excellence Dave Brock writes that listening to subordinates is an excellent way for leaders to learn what’s going on in the world and within the organization.

And just as important to the fire chief or chief officer, is the ability to learn what others know and don’t know. Brock writes that a seemingly naïve question is a wake up call that not everyone knows what you know. This assumption of knowledge is an easy mistake to make.

The questions can also show that the leader is blind to what’s going on, a very human condition, Broke writes.

The importance of getting information from the bottom up cannot be overstated. Leadership Coach Dan Rockwell goes so far as to recommend subordinates be given the power to conduct formal job appraisals for their supervisors. For Rockwell, the goal is to flatten the organization by converting subordinates to colleagues.

To get quality communication flowing up the org chart, fire chiefs can implement processes like one-on-one meetings and anonymous suggestion boxes. Most importantly, the chief needs to create a culture where firefighters can speak truth to power without fear of retribution.

To further this discussion and give fire chiefs insight into what the rank and file need from a leader, we posed the question to them on Facebook. We also conducted an unscientific poll asking readers: “What level of confidence do you have in your fire chief.” Here are the results:

• 75 to 100 percent confidence: 45 percent
• 50 to 75 percent confidence: 16 percent
• 25 to 50 percent confidence: 16 percent
• 0 to 25 percent confidence: 23 percent

Many of our Facebook responders said they want a fire chief to lead by example. Here’s a look at eight of the more insightful and representative comments.

“Knowledgeable at their trade but still actively learning, a good communicator and better listener. Knows how to delegate, is firm but fair. Puts the safety of his crew first.” — Jesse Clifton

“Someone that isn’t afraid to change some things in the department for the better.” — Adam Gannaway

“Remember where you came from. Don’t lose touch with the guys in the field. Lead by example and don’t ask someone to do something you’re not willing to do yourself.” — Michael Frost

“Don’t hire friends and don’t allow bullies to run your station. Stand up for your underlings or you will have dysfunction breeding dysfunction.” — Tam Johnson Ganci

“Ability to balance service to the community and what’s best for your troops. It’s an art form.” — Jeff Armstrong

“Lead by example and be trustworthy.” — Dann Gracia

“A great chief will help and watch his personnel surpass his knowledge and abilities.” — Lee Martin

“Being able to talk to someone, listen and understand.” — Tom Hayman

With dynamic managers at various levels of organizations having taken advantage of our services, we have come to be known as a pioneering source for excellent leadership training programs and evaluation strategies. We cater several leadership intensive programs and an assortment of evaluation strategies.

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