Blog - Wheeler Coaching Systems

Apr

2024

Evolving as a Leader

“What got you here won’t get you there.”

Marshall Goldsmith

I first heard the above quote while listening to leadership expert John C. Maxwell. As I have had the opportunity to work with different leaders and also in my own life I have realized the truth in this statement.

Recently I read Pour Your Heart Into It by Howard Shultz, the founder of Starbucks. As he shares his journey leading Starbucks, he highlights ways he has had to evolve as a leader. As you read the four phases of his evolution as a leader, take time to evaluate where you are in your leadership journey.

Dreamer

In his classic book Think and Grow Rich Napoleon Hill highlights how he found the successful people he studied had a burning desire to accomplish their goal. In the beginning of anything we want to lead we have an idea or dream we are pursuing.

Shultz saw the dream of what could be in cafes in Milan, Italy and returned to Seattle to propose his idea to the owners of the original Starbucks. In the beginning you have a dream and must fight for that dream to help make it become a reality.

Entrepreneur

The dream has rooted and is exiting the start-up phase that requires great amounts of hustle from you as the leader. Now it is starting to develop a life of its own. As an entrepreneurial leader, you are constantly testing new ideas, failing, adjusting the plan and re-entering the process.

Leading from this stage requires courage and flexibility. Courage to try new things and flexibility to adjust plans quickly. This is the second growth stage.

Professional Manager

The organization is now entering another growth stage requiring systems and processes to enable it to scale to the next level. As a professional manager leader you create systems and processes and work through other people to accomplish the vision. Leaders in this stage may have to face a big mental hurdle: letting go of control.

As a leader in this stage you do not have the capacity to be involved in every aspect of the business. Because of this you either develop systems or hire people to complete certain tasks. In this stage you still have a strong sense of the daily operations, but cannot implement all the work and begin to be more strategic in creative innovations.

Leader

As Starbucks scaled into a diversified international organization Shultz realized he had to evolve again. This change was him becoming the leader. He already was leading at each stage, but he had to become the visionary of the organization and depend on his team to inform his decisions.

As a leader in this stage you focus on thinking about future opportunities and coming alongside your team to overcome major organizational obstacles. When your organization has grown to this level, develop a team of people around you smarter than you in the area they lead who inform you. Then together you will make good decisions on what is best for the organization.

As you look at these four stages, which stage are you in now? Do you need to grow into a new stage? If so, which one? Need help to grow your leadership? Contact me for a no-cost discovery call to explore ways I may be able to help you or your team evolve as leaders. Lead Well.

Apr

2024

Communication Tools for Leaders

Relationships are difficult, and they can be even more difficult in the workplace. Communication is one of the biggest challenges faced by organizations and teams. When I want to grow a relationship, one of the early questions I ask others is what communication format they prefer and use most often.

Effective communication within your team is crucial for success as a leader. Because of technology, numerous tools and platforms are available to facilitate communication. Let’s explore leveraging technology to communicate effectively within your organization.

Chat and Messaging Apps

One of the easiest and most effective ways to communicate within your team is through chat and messaging apps. These platforms provide quick and immediate communication, making it easier for your team to stay connected and collaborate in real-time. Apps like Slack, Microsoft Teams, or even WhatsApp provide a centralized location for team members to engage in discussions, share files, and provide updates on project progress.

These tools are also a resource on social media platforms such as LinkedIn. When interacting with people outside your team through one of these methods, ensure they are familiar with and use this platform. Using these platforms will streamline communication for your team and ensure everyone stays informed and connected, no matter where they are located.

Project Management Tools

Keeping track of various tasks and projects within your team can be difficult, especially if you have team members working remotely. Consider implementing project management tools such as Asana or Trello to address this challenge. These platforms allow you to create and assign tasks, set deadlines, and monitor project progress in real-time.

Project management tools can also facilitate effective communication by providing a central hub for team members to share updates, ask questions, and provide feedback on ongoing projects. If your team does not yet need something as intricate, create a shared calendar such as Google Calendar and provide team deadlines and meetings. Utilizing these tools ensures that all team members are on the same page and working towards common goals.

Video Conferencing

Since the pandemic, virtual meetings have become more common for many businesses. Tools like Zoom, Microsoft Teams, or Google Meet allow for face-to-face communication, even when team members are not physically present in the same location. If the communication would best be done face to face, but time and travel prevent it then this is your best tool.

Virtual meetings can be an effective way to discuss important issues, brainstorm ideas, and collaborate on projects. They also offer the opportunity for team members to engage in non-verbal communication, such as facial expressions and body language, which can be important for building rapport and understanding and increasing trust within your team.

Foster an Open Communication Culture

While technology plays a crucial role in facilitating communication, fostering an open communication culture within your team is equally important. Encourage team members to share their thoughts, ideas, and concerns openly, and provide a platform for them to do so. Knowing some of the abovementioned options can help you consider how to best connect with your team.

Whether through regular team meetings, open forums, or anonymous feedback tools, creating an environment where everyone feels comfortable expressing themselves will lead to more effective communication and better teamwork.

These were just a few technological tools available to help you communicate. As you consider your team and their preferences, which tool would help you communicate and, more importantly, connect with your team to increase trust and keep communication open? How will you implement it? Need help thinking into this? Contact me for a no cost to you coaching session to help you think into your business. Lead well!

Mar

2024

Determining the Best Seat for Your Team Members

You have just been put in charge of a team. You have a clear vision of what the team needs to accomplish and the timeline it needs to be completed, but you don’t know the team very well. You need to determine the best spot for each team member. Jim Collins refers to this idea in his book Good to Great as finding the right seat on the bus.

Let’s imagine you are leading a sports team. The first thing you will do is assess skills in order to determine the best position for each team member. As a leader in an organization a few tips may help you in determining the best role for your team members.

Personality

Many personality tools exist. My personal favorite is the Maxwell DISC Personality Indicator which I use in workshops. This tool is easy to use, understand, and apply in a team setting. How does this help you determine the best position?

We are all different, but we are predictably different. When you understand each team members individual behavior style you can more effectively communicate with them. At times we may be frustrated by a team member but can’t identify why. It may not be their behavior or performance, but their personality may aggravate us.

When we understand the difference between each personality, we can understand what role may be the best fit. For example, a reserved person may not seem like a strong salesperson when in reality the clients they attract are very faithful. An extremely outgoing person may seem lazy because they don’t complete paperwork, but they may require more systems or support.

Work Strengths

Just as we are predictably different, we are all unique in the strengths we bring to the team. Some of us are more visionary while others are more naturally bent toward execution. How do we determine team member’s strengths?

Observe

Take time to watch and see what comes naturally for the team members. Also, listen to what others say a team member does easily. This is a sign of a strength they may have. As the leader you can also provide opportunities to help them grow and develop. If it comes easily for them then it may be a strength.

Assess

I often use Working Genius, a tool I have found helpful for objectively understanding an individual’s work strengths. This tool helps individuals understand what type of work provides them the most energy and fulfillment. Understanding this will help you clarify roles and responsibilities to match fulfillment and, therefore, improve results.

Skills

What is the difference between strengths and skills you may be wondering? Unlike a strength, a skill may be something a person has learned over time and may not always be natural for them. For example, some people are natural and comfortable communicators. On the other hand, some people appear that way because they have worked on their skills.

Take time to ask a person what they have done in the past to learn their skills. Keep in mind that just because they can do it does not mean they want to do it all the time. When we put someone in a seat who has the skills but not the passion it will lead to burnout. Observe where people have the skills and are energized and you will find a good seat.

If they have the energy, but not the skills and are willing to learn. Take the time to train them and you will have a person that learns how to fit into that seat and thrive.

Take some time and look at your team members’ personalities, skills, and strengths to determine where you can put them to get the best results. Need tools or help assessing your team members? Contact me to discover how I could serve your team and provide resources to help them grow to their full potential. Lead Well.

Mar

2024

Lead Like an Explorer

Not long ago, I was watching a movie about Jeff Bezos and his story of starting Amazon. In one specific scene, he is at the library meeting with the CEO of Barnes and Noble at the time.

During the meeting the CEO describes himself as a conqueror while making a significant offer to Bezos to buy his idea. Toward the end of the conversation, Bezos replies that he is not trying to be a conqueror, but an explorer.

So, what does it mean to lead like an explorer and not simply try to conquer? Imagine leading like an explorer, forging new paths and constantly seeking new opportunities. Whether you lead a team at work, a group of volunteers, or just your family, you can adopt the mindset and approach of an explorer to take your leadership abilities to the next level.

Curiosity

Bezos had an idea of how to leverage the growth of online commerce, and according to the movie, he brought it to his boss at the time to use to grow their business. His idea was not embraced. He became curious about what he could do to take advantage of this opportunity he saw.

Leading like an explorer requires a sense of curiosity and a hunger for discovery. Explorers are always seeking new knowledge and understanding, and as a leader, you should encourage your team to do the same. Embrace the unknown and encourage innovation and creativity. As an explorer, you are unafraid to take risks and try new things. Encourage your team to leave their comfort zones and pursue new opportunities.

Resilience

As Bezos stood in his kitchen discussing the possibilities with his wife he made a decision. He was going to quit his safe, stable, and profitable job to start a business that he had no idea whether it would succeed.

As he made multiple phone calls to friends he was rejected. People did not understand or possibly believe in the idea so they were not willing to invest. This did not deter him. He continued to pursue the idea.

A leader who has an explorer’s mindset understands the journey is not always easy, and they are prepared to face challenges head-on. As a leader, it is important to instill a sense of resilience in your team. Encourage them to persevere in the face of adversity and adapt to changing circumstances. When you lead by example and show resilience in your actions, you can inspire your team to do the same.

Communicate Effectively

According to the movie, Bezos was in the library, where he got the idea for the name Amazon. As he met with this high-powered CEO Bezos made it clear he could not be bought. Shortly after returning to the garage home office, he communicated the vision and the plan for the future to his small team.

Explorers must communicate effectively. When you lead like an explorer you are in unknown territory and have often inspired some others to join you on the journey. Explorers often work in teams, relying on each other’s strengths and expertise to navigate through this unfamiliar territory.

When leading like an explorer, foster a culture of collaboration and open communication within your team. Encourage the sharing of ideas, active listening, and mutual support. When you communicate effectively, you build a strong and cohesive team that can overcome any obstacles coming your way.

As a leader, you may be in a stage where you need to lead like an explorer. Maybe you need to take your team into uncharted territory to grow. Perhaps you are starting something brand new. Which of these areas do you need to succeed in? Need help thinking into any of these areas? Contact me to experience a powerful coaching session at no cost to you. Lead well!

Mar

2024

Easy And Hard Road

“Two roads diverged in a wood and I –

I took the road less traveled by,

And that has made all the difference.”

Robert Frost

Recently I was at the Maxwell Leadership conference and was listening to John Maxwell. During one of the sessions he said “quit chasing easy.” As I reflect on that statement and Frost’s poem above let’s look at how both are important.

The Easy Road

This is the road Frost did not take in his poem. This is the path of comfort, security and the status quo. This is not the road to STAY on, but a necessary road.

When we begin something we have never done such as learn a new skill we need easy wins. For example, if I am learning to hit a baseball the difficult task is a home run. On the other hand, the easy task is getting contact and then getting a base hit.

The easy road grows our confidence. The easy road gets us started. When we stay too long on the easy road though, we get stuck. And stuck stinks!

The Hard Road

This is the road that Frost referred to as the one less traveled by. This road requires risk and challenge and stress and an uphill climb. This road also is where great success and significance can lie.

Mother Teresa left the easy road to serve lepers in India. She dedicated her life to the poorest of poor and lived a life of tremendous significance.

Martin Luther King Jr. could have remained quiet and stuck to serving the people in his community, but he saw something bigger. He saw a greater need. He also experienced the hard path.

This is the path of growth. This is the path where individuals become “overnight successes”. . . . after twenty years. This is the path where you build something great as a leader.

Managing the Tension

Both paths are necessary, but it becomes a question of timing. What stage is your life and your work in? If a business is in the startup stage, they are managing both the hard path and the easy. They are trying to get off the ground and become profitable . . . hard. On the other hand, they are trying to get the easy wins to keep the doors open.

We each need to search within to determine if there is something hard we know we should be pursuing, but are not because we are afraid. When we “chase easy” then we choose comfort and choose a path that is less than our full potential.

Take a minute and ask yourself: where do I need to start chasing hard so I can grow into my full potential and help those around me do the same? Need help thinking into this? Contact me for a no cost to you powerful coaching session. Chase hard and lead well!

Mar

2024

Three Ways to Create an Inspiring Environment

Many years ago I was visiting with the strength and conditioning coaches of a very successful professional football team. I had one goal in mind: to understand how they motivate their athletes.

I was talking with the head strength coach ready for some wisdom on how they motivate their athletes. Guess what he said.

“We don’t.”

Needless to say, I was a little deflated at that point and also curious why. Many years later I have heard other leaders in the business world say similar things. So, what does a leader do if we don’t motivate our team members?

I am going to suggest we create an environment that inspires them. We may not be motivating them because we hired them to do a job and don’t feel we should have to. Could it be we have a responsibility to create an inspiring environment? Allow me to provide three ideas on creating that environment for your team.

Understand Their Style

Every one of us is different. We are predictably different though. I have a file on my desk with the results of multiple assessments I have taken to understand myself. One of my favorite, which I use in trainings with organizations, is the DISC assessment.

This tool helps you understand an individual’s personal behavior style. How does this help you create an inspiring culture? Each person is inspired a little differently. Some are inspired by a goal and challenge, some by relationships, some by being a part of a team, and some by precision. When we understand the individual and collective style of our team, we can then create an environment that brings out the best in the team and each individual.

As we speak their style, we connect more effectively and inspire more powerfully.

Sort Out Their Strengths

The human experience can cause us to focus on our weak areas and how to improve them. What if we flip this, focus on our strengths, and use them more frequently? When we position people on our team so that they are working in their areas of strength, we get improved results.

People who work in their strengths will be in flow, enjoy their work, and perform at a higher level. The Maxwell DISC Personality Indicator has helped me understand individual leadership strengths, but I have also used another tool. The Working Genius helps individuals see their work performance preferences and what gives them the most fulfillment.

As a leader who understands these two areas, you will begin to be equipped to create a more inspiring environment.

What is Their Why?

Of the three, this is the most important. When facilitating an ongoing leadership academy I continually remind the leaders in the room to “align the whys.” The team you lead has a purpose, why it exists. Each individual also has a purpose, why they are on your team.

As the leader your job is to understand each individual’s “why” and align it with the teams. For example, if they work to provide for their family and the organization offers more money with increased results then you can remind that individual how their performance helps both the organization and them accomplish their purpose.

As you look at these three areas, which do you need to work on with your team? Need help understanding your team member’s style and strengths? Contact me to discuss how I may serve your team and help you strengthen them and partner with you in building an inspiring culture. Lead Well!