by Deborah Leverett | Oct 13, 2017 | Blog, Uncategorized
I’m preparing a presentation on accountability for a group of CPAs and it has me thinking why we have not done a better job increasing accountability in the workplace. This topic is still one of the most requested needs from my clients. I have found that leaders typically react with a bias to action and sense of urgency to ‘fix the problem’ instead of giving room for people to grow and change. Strategies for holding people accountable range from the most severe “I am the hammer, you are the nail’ style of accountability to milk toast conversations that pretend to confront misaligned behavior. The truth is most managers and leaders are woefully unskilled in creating a culture of accountability in a fashion that is productive and long-lasting. At every level, making decisions is all about managing risks which always carries with it an opportunity to miss the mark. People make mistakes. But many leaders react as if the person is a corporate saboteur who has purposely committed the error to bring down the company! If I fail and my manager makes me feel bad/guilty/stupid; most likely my tolerance for taking risks diminishes. It means I will feel safer by taking fewer risks and work to maintain the status quo. This creates a cycle of low productivity which leads to disengagement which leads to…..you know the rest. So what does the role of a leader look like when dealing with a person who has just made a mistake? Help the person move from looking back to looking forward. Shift the person’s thinking to how this should go in the future –...
by Deborah Leverett | Sep 6, 2017 | Blog
Every single person on earth will experience failure and it doesn’t matter if it was because of decisions you made or because of external factors; how you come through it depends solely on you and your attitude (that’s right, the ball is still in your court). The key to a successful transition from failure to hope begins with 3 choices: Trust the process: you don ‘t have to know the next steps or how it is going to work out in order to move forward. Trust that good is around the corner and determine that you will outlive the rough patch. Choose to fully show up with a good attitude in all areas of life – no matter how bad you are feeling. Continue to consider the needs of others. Don’t play the victim card. Examine your beliefs about yourself: believing the worst about yourself will end up in a grand pity party (btw: no one wants to attend this party) Choose how you are going to present yourself and take personal responsibility to rewrite your story in the most positive light. The challenge is not to numb the pain of failure, but to re-purpose your life: this time with the wisdom gained from the failure. The perspective you need is to look at what you have already done and at the same time picture what still needs to be done. Our success oriented lifestyle can give false impressions about life and it always looks so easy when other people do it. But, the route to of a good life is fraught with hardship, struggle and failure....
by Deborah Leverett | Aug 31, 2017 | Uncategorized
This Sunday, September 3rd at 4 p.m. at Saint John’s United Methodist Church (2140 Allandale Road, 78756), the Miró Quartet, singers from Conspirare, Austin Chamber Music Center’s Michelle Schumann, and Matt Hinesly from Austin Classical Guitar will be giving an informal concert. This all-ages event will also include volunteer education opportunities as well as a drop-off station for donated goods. The concert is free, but whether you plan to attend or not, please consider making a donation. We will give 100% of the money we raise to the Austin Disaster Relief Network in support of their ongoing efforts in Texas. At Sunday’s concert we will hear a field update and learn about ways to stay involved directly from ADRN’s director, Daniel Geraci. Click here to RSVP or donate: Hope after Harvey ...
by Deborah Leverett | Jul 19, 2017 | Blog
Being in business in an era of entrepreneurship and technological innovation is so inspiring because of the opportunities to work with game-changers: those invidividuals who fight against the status quo and push forward with big ideas and a bulldog persistence to take their ideas into reality. It’s been a privilege for me to work with many of my clients who are game -changers and catalysts. Their dreams are founded on the purpose of serving the greater good as well as ideas that inspire others to act boldly. Though each of their journeys have been completely different, I have noticed there are certain traits that are common to those men and women who have made profound shifts with their ideas. Game-Changers & Catalysts: Are relentless about pursuing new ideas, potential and solutions.You won’t find them quitting after one idea: for a game-changer, it is a lifestyle. Have resilience. Being able to bounce back after back-to-back challenges is daunting; but it seems their grit comes from the personal meaning and purpose of their endeavor. They know how to manage through their negative emotions of doubt, disappointment and fear. I’ve noticed it’s not passion, but sheer perseverance that pulls them through the toughest of circumstances. Know how to keep their ego in check – every gamechanger I know understands that ego is their biggest enemy. Their humility permits them to act, reflect, learn, act. Failure and success both serve as teachers in the game-changer’s school of success as they pursue continuous growth and improvement. In order to do this, they religiously carve out white space to reflect, assess and plan....
by Deborah Leverett | Jul 3, 2017 | Uncategorized
A society whose citizens have run amuck of civility & personal restraints produce people with a sense of entitlement and whose agenda is self-centered. Whether you are building a team in a corporate setting or launching your own vision you need relationships with people who are in alignment with your values. Healthy relationships will enhance and accelerate your goals whereas unhealthy and misaligned relationships will do the opposite. Webster’s dictionary defines presumption as overstepping due bounds (as of propriety or courtesy) or taking liberties. Your job as leader is to draw boundaries and set clear priorities. When presumptuous people try to assert their will, their agenda, you have to act with immediacy and boldness to say no. Refuse to be controlled. With healthy boundaries and clear direction, you can avoid costly damage to your Behaviors of a presumptuous person: They want a ‘genuine’ relationship without the commitment or effort that it takes to build a real relationship Assume they have access to your time, knowledge and network when it has not been given. They will ask for favors, assume they are top priority and become petulant when they don’t get their way. Have no respect for your time, your culture or your standards of order. Consider their agenda as top priority above the team’ or the organization’s priorities. Will use guilt to get as a method to get their goals achieved. Bringing on the right people is a vital component of building a team to achieve a vision. The right alignment is energizing, innovative and fulfilling. Be willing to say no to the wrong ones. ...
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