leaders

Credibility

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Bob Schultek Author of The Gauntlet Credibility is the quality of being trusted and believed. It’s what motivates consideration of a supplier. It’s the primary reason that people choose to follow their leaders. Credibility is all about reliability, authenticity and accountability…walking the talk, keeping promises. Demonstrating credibility as an individual involves living in accordance with your personal core values. Doing so guides direction, decision-making and commitment. When obligations are honored, personal credibility is strengthened. The same is true for those who …

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Why Teams Bond

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Bob Schultek Author of The Gauntlet Teams bond when they struggle together to accomplish an objective. Every military, athletic and business leader knows this truth and relies upon it. Why do team members choose to join in the struggle? Accomplishing the objective is meaningful. The struggle provides a unique opportunity to make a difference, to contribute to a vital, significant endeavor. Participating enables mastery. Struggling with the team to overcome barriers enables the mastery of individual strengths that increase satisfaction, self-confidence and …

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Creating Your Future

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Bob Schultek Author of The Gauntlet Balancing stability with the need for innovation is a key obligation for leaders. The sustainability of your business depends on finding a suitable equilibrium. Stability pays the bills, relying on structure and standard procedures to boost productivity and ensure high quality that increases reliability and reduces risk. But another consequence of this conformity is the cultivation of bureaucracy that breeds fear of failure, compromising innovation and resulting in a drift towards …

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3 Core Values of Exceptional Leaders

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        Leaders are judged to be genuine when their actions are guided by their personal core values. These three values are particularly relevant for leaders who seek to be exceptional: Accountability. When there is a problem, accountable leaders look first to themselves. They accept responsibility for the consequences of their decisions. They credit their team when things go well, and when problems arise, accept the responsibility rather than blaming the team. When encouraging autonomy, these leaders …

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The Law of Thirds

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Bob Schultek Author of The Gauntlet One of the laws governing change initiatives states that those impacted by a change separate into three groups. One third of the group will immediately support the change. They are the spark that launches it and the energy that sustains it. They ask, “what if?” or “why?” and they’re the first to volunteer with an eager, “I’ll do it.” They are generous with their time and talent, putting in more than …

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3 Behaviors That Reveal Leadership Credibility

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  When asked in several studies how they judge a leader, employees cite attributes like vision, experience, communication skills and others; but consistently, the dominant response is credibility. When pressed to define “credibility,” people typically reply with a phrase like: “they walk the talk.” The consistency with which a leader’s actions align with his or her words defines leadership credibility. These 3 behaviors reveal how consistently you act in accordance with your words and values: 1. How you spend your …

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Two Directions for Culture

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Bob Schultek Author of The Gauntlet Culture tends to move in one of two directions, and as a leader who influences which path your organization and team will take, you have a decision to make. It’s a choice that impacts how you work with others in the organization and the investments you make in your business and yourself. One path leads towards more openness and transparency. Turn the other direction for control and dependence. Does your business benefit if …

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3 Questions Your People Ask About You

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Bob Schultek Author of The Gauntlet Leaders rely on feedback from their teams as one metric to gauge their effectiveness. Asking each team member what’s going well and what can improve produces some insight, but empathetic leaders seek a more comprehensive perspective that explores how their credibility and intentions are perceived by their teams. To gain this perspective, these leaders suppose that their personnel are asking 3 questions about them: 1. “Do you care about me?” Does …

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Why Leaders Won’t Coach

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Bob Schultek Author of The Gauntlet    Leaders know that coaching their personnel produces a “markedly positive” impact on performance, culture and results. Yet coaching is one of the tools least used by leaders. Why? The common excuse is that there is no time for the slow, tedious work of teaching/mentoring employees when trying to succeed in our competitive, high pressure economy. Another explanation is that coaching can be complicated and involved, and there’s concern about failing at …

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Performance Makes the Difference

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Bob Schultek Author of The Gauntlet There are leaders who believe that discussing performance with an employee, using a structured process, is a waste of time for the organization and for the employee. If the process is conducted inappropriately, then they may be right. Some businesses have ceased performance discussions entirely.On the other hand, when leaders believe that their people make the difference, then they appreciate their responsibility to invest in their human resources, initiated through individual discussions …

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