Setting Goals To Fulfill Your Dream

Maybe all of us know about goal setting but sometimes we don’t put our knowledge to practice. Our brain is the most advanced bio-computer ever created and it is a goal-seeking machine. Without a viable target our personal super-computer won’t be able to performs at its peak.

Nowadays, it is quite common that we use Waze or any other GPS-enabled device or application to get from point A to point B. Even though we already knew the destination or target but we still use technology as an aid to guide our journey. Why is that? Imagine that we don’t even know where we want to go. What will happen to us?

Maybe, some will say that goal setting is a waste of time because nobody knows the future. It is true that we can’t predict the future, but at the least, we can do something today for a better tomorrow. Our point A is “today” and our point B is “tomorrow”. Now, the question is, how do we travel or drive from point A to our target, point B? The easiest way is to use Waze, which will show us the route and ETA.

Goal setting is equivalent of “Waze” to our brain. Once the viable target has been established, our personal supercomputer will help us to design the journey and our thoughts will be focused on it. We will attract whatever we think about, good or bad and that is the underpinning concept of “Law of Attraction”.

How To Achieve Goals?

Set Goals. First list down all the goals that you want to accomplish. Please bear in mind that goals should always be sensible and should be accomplishable. Setting unrealistic goals are of no use. Write the most important goals at the top of the list and number them accordingly. Only choose a maximum of three goals at a time because this will help you to focus more precisely. You can replace any of the three goals once it is accomplished.

Develop Strategies To Achieve Goals. Once you have listed your goals, you need to evaluate and develop strategies to complete your goals. For example, if your goal is to shed some extra pounds, your broad strategy should be dieting and exercises. There is no shortcut in life and don’t believe in instant gratification. So, you need a particular strategy and dedication to pull off your goals.
Have Definite Action Plans. Once your broad line of attack is determined, work on your definite action plans. For instance, if dieting and exercising are your broad strategies to your weight loss goal, then your action plan should consist of a healthy diet chart; a healthy way of life, and an appropriate workout routine.

Believe In Yourself. If you want to accomplish your goals and become successful in life, you have to believe in yourself. All successful men and women today are doing well because they believed in themselves and were confident about their capabilities. If you believe in yourself, then you can accomplish the goals you have set for yourself. As the late Napoleon Hill said: “Whatever your mind can conceive and believe, it can achieve.”

Review Your Progress. Make sure you are making progress. Review your progress every week to analyze how far you have reached in accomplishing your goals. If you find you are lagging behind, hire a coach, look for help from family and friends, and above all, try to recognize why your goal is not being met. Find a solution to accomplish your goal.

Be Self-Motivated. Self-motivation is a must to achieve goals and success in life. Motivational books and CDs are great ways to keep you motivated and will help you to stay focused towards your goals. (Audiobook is my favorite tool for self-motivation. Indeed, I listen to audiobook every single day before I go to bed.) The more self-motivated you are, the easier it is to work towards your objectives.

End of the day, the journey or process to achieve goals is worth more than the outcome. The process teaches us about strategic thinking, positive thinking, self-discipline, persistence in the face of adversity and etc. What you have become (due to the process) is far more important than what you get (due to the outcome).


This article was originally written by Meran Simmathiri with the title "Goal Setting Is All About The Process, Not The Outcome" and was first published on Linkedin Pulse

10 Reasons Why Culture Matters

Caring for your culture is not an annual event or even a monthly event. Just like sleeping and eating, caring for your culture is a daily activity that requires an investment of your time and attention. Caring involves Clarity, Accountability, Relationships and Esteem.

C – Clear behaviors (actions speak louder than words) and values that are consistently modeled by the leadership.

A – Accountability for all. Leaders do not get a pass; there are rewards and consequences for adhering to or violating culture.

R – Relationship between leaders and employees. Culture is built through shared experiences. It comes from the stories told, the lessons learned and relationships with the people around us.

E – Esteem This word means to recognize the worth of a person. Esteem is a fundamental view that’s necessary for leaders to care for culture. If you do not value your people, it’s difficult to care for culture.

As a leader, when caring for your culture, you must explain and demonstrate the behaviors of the culture you want to create, hold people accountable for adhering to the culture, build relationships with employees and hold them in high esteem.

Here are 10 thoughts about caring for culture and why it’s absolutely essential.

1. Leaders must deliver results.
When a leader understands culture and uses it to deliver on their strategy, they will accomplish radically better results. Culture is always in service of the business results accomplished through the strategy. Culture ignored puts results in peril. If you don’t understand and care for your culture, your ability to deliver results is significantly diminished.
I worked with a large financial services company in New York. Over the course of four years they turned over an equivalent number of leaders in the SVP of HR role. While each leader was a unique leader, what they shared in common was a complete miss of the culture signs that ended up being stumbling blocks. They each arrived with mandates from the CEO and lots of great ideas. The ideas were not bad, but each leader tried to implement them the same way he did at his previous company. Without understanding the culture and tailoring the approach to the new organization every leader was doomed to failure. The culture fought back fiercely to prevent the changes each leader needed to make. Fortunately, the current SVP is thoughtful and tuned into the uniqueness of the organizational culture.

2. Culture amps up or annihilates employee motivation.
According to Bersin by Deloitte, 95% of employees say that culture is more important than compensation. The science of motivation has repeatedly proved that money is not a primary motivator. Whether it’s Daniel Pink’s trio of autonomy, mastery, and purpose or Rosabeth Moss Kanter’s troika of mastery, membership, and meaning, culture will enhance or diminish these motivators. Create a culture that supports these motivation essentials and your motivated employees will thank you with increased productivity.

3. Culture attracts the right people.
A well-defined and cared for culture makes an organization a talent magnet for the right people. The opposite benefit is that it also repels the wrong people. Caring for culture makes talent management’s job easier by serving as a pre-screen to get the right people to apply.

Think about Zappos, it has a well-publicized culture. It creates clarity about who should and shouldn’t work there. This streamlines the talent process. Zappos further streamlined its process by completely eliminating job postings. In keeping with the culture, the company created its own social network called Zappos Insiders. If you want a job there, you need to sign up and ask for an interview. The very process they are using to bring people into their organization connects to their culture and either attracts or repels people. (Ed note: For a different perspective see “Is Zappos Zapping Of Job Listings Really Smart – Or Fair?“)

4. An effective work culture is foundational to unlocking a company’s growth.
The Katzenbach Center study shows that 84% of the participants believed culture was critical to business success. Why not pay attention to culture and activate a business lever that costs you nothing? This free lever can help you to increase productivity, innovation, creativity and more.

5. If you don’t control culture, culture controls you.
In Edgar Schein’s words, “The bottom line for leaders is if they do not become conscious of the cultures in which they are embedded, those cultures will manage them. Cultural understanding is desirable for all of us, but it is essential to leaders if they are to lead.” How can you be in charge if you are not in control?

6. Culture serves as a differentiator and a competitive advantage.
Culture is your secret sauce. Did you know that Southwest Airlines was not the first low cost airline to focus on fun? Southwest’s founder Herb Kelleher studied and copied the strategy of California-based Pacific Southwest Airlines. PSA’s slogan was, “The World’s Friendliest Airline.” Herb took PSA’s strategy and with laser-like focus on fostering a specific culture at Southwest, he created an airline that both customers and employees love today.

7. Culture supports the success of your strategy or diminishes its impact.
Your culture will not eat your strategy for breakfast and lunch or dinner, but it is the accelerator or roadblock to your success. Look at the crash and burn failure of Ron Johnson at JC Penney. He was responsible for a strategy shift (a major rebrand), which later led to company shares declining 51%! The culture was not amenable to the changes he wanted to make despite his success at Target and Apple. Care for your culture and beware, it can bite!

8. Strong culture requires fewer rules.
When everyone knows what game they’re playing, their position and role responsibilities, and how we win, employees are free to make it happen.
Recently, I worked with a leadership team that was struggling to get various teams aligned. They were embarking on a culture initiative to more clearly define their culture and understand how work gets done, people get managed and money gets spent. What they came to realize was that their shifting culture had left the staff with such confusion that people were either in a holding pattern or stepping on toes because they didn’t know the rules of engagement. The leadership worked to define and align the management system for the entire organization and have already seen people feel empowered to get work done rather than focus on rules.

9. Culture trumps engagement
With all the effort and energy spent measuring the employee engagement, little has changed. Culture is a better measure and the right focus for leaders to deliver business results. Culture trumps engagement because it provides a more complete picture of the organization.

10. Culture is one of the top reasons that M&A initiatives fail.
Since this is a critical growth strategy for many organizations, it’s imperative to care for culture in a way that facilitates integration success.
I am working with a technology company whose leadership team recognized that their culture is not “acquisition friendly.” The CEO is intentionally focusing on the culture, doing an assessment and planning an intervention to prepare them to be successful when they are ready to acquire. Whether it’s pre-acquisition preparation or incorporated into the integration playbook, culture care is a critical success factor for M&A.

Exclusively by Donna Brighton.
This article originally appeared on Culture University.

Why The Employees Are Quitting?

There are tons of personal reasons why people quit their jobs. Maybe they decided to sail around the world, or start their own business in their basement. But there are a few key organizational factors that, more often than not, play a role in someone’s decision to leave. Some of recent researches on employee retention and turnover have highlighted seven issues that can prompt people to say, “I’m outta here.” Read on and see if you recognize any of these problems in your company.

1. They want more money

It might sound obvious, but money can be motivating. According to a recent study by the International Consortium for Executive Development Research (ICEDR), a lack of fair pay and compensation is among the top reasons why men and women around age 30 leave their jobs. Perhaps surprisingly, women around age 30 are more likely than men are to say they’ve left a job because they found another one that pays more. A whopping 65% of women cited this as a reason, compared to 56% of men.

2. They don’t see opportunities for learning and development

That same ICEDR study found that men’s top reason for quitting was that there aren’t enough opportunities for learning and development. As many as 65% of men cited this issue as a factor in leaving. Recent research from Deloitte yielded similar findings. According to the survey, 71% of millennials who plan to leave their jobs in the next two years are dissatisfied with how their leadership skills are being developed. But that number drops to 54% among those who are planning to stay beyond 2020.

3. There’s no sense of greater purpose

Terms like “purpose” can sound fuzzy, but it turns out that employees really do value the chance to make a positive contribution to the world. Based on its survey results, Deloitte highlights a “purpose gap” between millennials and their employers, meaning there’s a disconnect between the world-changing opportunities businesses offer and the opportunities workers want.

The survey found that among millennials planning to stay with their current company for more than five years, 88% said they were satisfied with the company’s sense of purpose. Meanwhile, only 63% of those planning to leave within two years were satisfied with that aspect of the organization.

According to Deloitte chairman David Cruickshank, organizations can start to close the purpose gap by employing their strengths to help society and giving millennials the chance to participate. For example, Cruickshank stated, some London firms invest in outreach programs with disadvantaged local schools so they can help give students skills that will make them more employable.

4. There’s too much collaboration between coworkers

“Collaboration” might sound like a great thing - everyone pools their knowledge and skills to help a company succeed. But researchers say there’s a dark side to collaboration: The more valuable you are to the company, the more demands get placed on you, until eventually you burn out and quit. Researchers call it “success syndrome.”

The worst part is that managers can be completely oblivious to how overloaded their employees are becoming. In some cases, they might not even know that their employees are fielding requests from other people and departments. Senior leaders can help resolve this issue by re-evaluating group meetings and deciding if everyone’s input is really required. They can also show the most burdened people how to prioritize requests and say “no” when necessary.

5. The company doesn’t facilitate collaboration between coworkers

But don’t think that eliminating collaboration completely will solve any problems. According to a survey by EY in 2015, one of the top five reasons workers quit is that their work environment doesn’t encourage collaboration between coworkers. Worldwide, 71% of people cited this issue as a factor in leaving; in the US, the number dropped to 66%.

6. They don’t feel appreciated by management

Everyone likes to hear that they’re doing a good job. In fact, half of respondents in a 2013 CareerBuilder survey said that increasing employee recognition - in the form of awards, cash prizes, and company trips - is one way to prompt employees to stay with a company. Author Cameron Morrisey writes on LinkedIn that managers should ask themselves a few key questions to figure out if they’re valuing their team. Those questions include:

• Is the manager listening to employee feedback?
• Are they giving constructive feedback to the employee?
• Are they showing appreciation and noticing successes?
• Are they empowering their employees to be able to do more than the basics?

7. They work excessive overtime hours

The same EY survey mentioned above found that excessive overtime hours was one of the top reasons for quitting. That’s an especially striking finding given that nearly six in 10 US managers report working more than 40 hours a week. Plus, research suggests that logging 50-plus-hour workweeks is only feasible for a short time. After that, productivity starts to plummet. Managers would therefore be wise to keep tabs on their employees’ hours, or else they could lose them - to burnout or another company.


Source: Ernst & Young, Harvard Business Review, Deloitte University Press, ICEDR Special Report, LinkedIn Pulse

Psychological Bias In Decision Making

What is Psychological Bias?

Psychologists Daniel Kahneman, Paul Slovic, and Amos Tversky introduced the concept of psychological bias in the early 1970s. They published their findings in their 1982 book, "Judgment Under Uncertainty." They explained that psychological bias - also known as cognitive bias – is the tendency to make decisions or take action in an illogical way. For example, you might subconsciously make selective use of data, or you might feel pressured to make a decision by powerful colleagues.

Psychological bias is the opposite of common sense and clear, measured judgment. It can lead to missed opportunities and poor decision making. Dealing with cognitive errors is increasingly becoming a central concern for developing leaders and managers. Our friends at Mind Tools have kindly given us permission to reproduce an extract from an article on cognitive errors and ways to deal with them. For each of the errors, read the definition and the example and before you read the section on ‘how to avoid’ the error, ask yourself how you would avoid the error and compare your response with the advice given.

1. Confirmation bias

Confirmation bias happens when you look for information that supports your existing beliefs, and reject data that go against what you believe. This can lead you to make biased decisions, because you don’t factor in all of the relevant information.
A 2013 study found that confirmation bias can affect the way that people view statistics. Its authors report that people have a tendency to infer information from statistics that supports their existing beliefs, even when the data support an opposing view. That makes confirmation bias a potentially serious problem to overcome when you need to make a statistics-based decision.

How to avoid confirmation bias? Look for ways to challenge what you think you see. Seek out information from a range of sources, and use an approach such as theSix Thinking Hats technique to consider situations from multiple perspectives. Alternatively, discuss your thoughts with others. Surround yourself with a diverse group of people, and don’t be afraid to listen to dissenting views. You can also seek out people and information that challenge your opinions, or assign someone on your team to play ‘devil’s advocate’ for major decisions.

2. Anchoring

This bias is the tendency to jump to conclusions - that is, to base your final judgement on information gained early on in the decision-making process. Think of this as a ‘first impression’ bias. Once you form an initial picture of a situation, it’s hard to see other possibilities.

How to avoid anchoring? Anchoring may happen if you feel under pressure to make a quick decision, or if you have a general tendency to act hastily. So, to avoid it, reflect on your decision-making history, and think about whether you’ve rushed to judgement in the past. Then, take time to make decisions slowly, and be ready to ask for longer if you feel under pressure to make a quick decision. (If someone is pressing aggressively for a decision, this can be a sign that the thing they’re pushing for is against your best interests.)

3. Overconfidence bias

This happens when you place too much faith in your own knowledge and opinions. You may also believe that your contribution to a decision is more valuable than it actually is. You might combine this bias with anchoring, meaning that you act on hunches, because you have an unrealistic view of your own decision-making ability. Researchers found that entrepreneurs are more likely to display the overconfidence bias than the general population. They can fail to spot the limits to their knowledge, so they perceive less risk. Some succeed in their ventures, but many do not.

How to avoid overconfidence bias? Consider the following questions:

• What sources of information do you tend to rely on when you make decisions? Are these fact-based, or do you rely on hunches?
• Who else is involved in gathering information?
• Has information been gathered systematically?

If you suspect that you might be depending on potentially unreliable information, think about what you can do to gather comprehensive, objective data.

4. Gambler’s fallacy

With the gambler’s fallacy, you expect past events to influence the future. A classic example is a coin toss. If you toss a coin and get heads seven times consecutively, you might assume that there’s a higher chance that you’ll toss tails the eighth time. Often, the longer the run, the stronger your belief can be that things will change the next time. However, in this example, the odds are always 50/50. The gambler’s fallacy can be dangerous in a business environment. For instance, imagine that you’re an investment analyst in a highly volatile market. Your four previous investments did well, and you plan to make a new, much larger one, because you see a pattern of success. In fact, outcomes are highly uncertain. The number of successes that you’ve had previously has only a small bearing on the future.

How to avoid gambler’s fallacy? A 2008 study reported that gambler’s fallacy was less likely to happen when decision makers avoided looking at information chronologically. So, to avoid gambler’s fallacy, make sure that you look at trends from a number of angles. Drill deep into data using tools such asSituational Appreciation. If you notice patterns in behaviour or product success – for example, if several projects fail unexpectedly – look for trends in your environment, such as changed customer preferences or wider economic circumstances. Tools such as PEST Analysis can help here.

5. Fundamental attribution error

This is the tendency to blame others when things go wrong, instead of looking objectively at the situation. In particular, you may blame or judge someone based on a stereotype or a perceived personality flaw. For example, if you’re in a car accident, and the other driver is at fault, you’re more likely to assume that he or she is a bad driver than you are to consider whether bad weather played a role. Fundamental attribution error is the opposite of actor-observed bias, in that you tend to place blame on external events. For example, if you have a car accident that’s your fault, you’re more likely to blame the brakes or the wet road than your reaction time.

How to avoid fundamental attribution error? It’s essential to look at situations, and the people involved in them, non-judgmentally. Use empathy and (if appropriate)cultural intelligence, to understand why people behave in the ways that they do. Also, build emotional intelligence, so that you can reflect accurately on your own behaviour.

Source: MindTools (www.mindtools.com)

Ego vs. EQ - How Top Leaders Beat 8 Ego Traps with Emotional Intelligence

Stay on Top with EQ

Whether you are the CEO of a global conglomerate, a division vice president or a smallbusiness owner, you may discover that the strengths, technical skills and motivational techniques that helped you attain your objectives aren’t enough to keep you in power. You need emotional intelligence (EQ) as well. Effective leaders understand the value of EQ and know how it can help them avoid the eight ego traps most likely to sabotage their success. Those traps are:

1. “Ignoring Feedback You Don’t Like”
Some executives base the effectiveness of their leadership on bottom-line results. They believe that a healthy profit margin and managing a workforce reasonably well define success. Other executives “suspect” that their subordinates view them positively as leaders, but they lack hard proof. Most executives can’t offer an accurate self-assessment because they don’t know if their self-appraisal aligns with other people’s perceptions. To know with certainty that you and your employees are on the same page, obtain “360-degree feedback” from a variety of people who work with you. Many organizations that administer this assessment tool intentionally omit high-ranking executives from the process. That just allows them to continue their negative behavior.

Leaders who are unwilling or unable to recognize their own deficiencies are much more likely to sabotage their careers. Though listening to criticism is difficult – particularly for executives with formidable egos – ignoring or not soliciting feedback can be detrimental to your business. If you are unaware of the impact of your actions, you create barriers between you and your staff members that undermine your authority and credibility. A high degree of self-awareness correlates with success in “driving results and managing talent.” Many executives focus on generating profits, meeting earnings expectations, and producing flawless services and products – all necessary and meaningful. Yet, they may pay insufficient attention to managing and interacting with their staff and offering motivation and inspiration. Some leaders are oblivious to underlying issues that lead to higher turnover, production problems or lack of creativity. Egotistical leaders aren’t the only ones who refuse to solicit feedback; many respected, successful executives don’t want to rock the boat. They are content to believe that their employee relationships are solid and trusting. Staffers may hesitate to criticize superiors they generally admire, or to take on bosses who have shown that they can’t accept criticism.

Leaders who are accustomed to soliciting feedback and accepting criticism often become enthusiastic about the process. They honor it as an integral part of their comprehensive business strategy. The 360-degree feedback assessment can be administered annually, typically in an online survey. After you and those most familiar with your work take the survey, you receive a written report evaluating your effectiveness.

2. “Believing Your Technical Skills Trump Your Leadership Skills”
Every company needs leaders with expertise – people the firm can count on to supply answers and solve problems, bright executives who know their industries, understand production and manufacturing, and who value marketing and promotion. But leaders overly enamored with their own talent and ambition may treat others poorly and seriously damage workplace morale.

Organizations often promote employees based on their technical skills and knowledge. The brilliant attorney ascends the corporate ladder based on his courtroom expertise. The best computer programmer ends up in charge of the IT department and the most successful salesperson becomes the regional sales manager. Companies hand out promotions for achievement without considering future managers’ leadership and “people” skills. EQ skills become even more important the higher you rise in your company.

New managers may not understand that their specialized skills and know-how are not enough to ensure their success. They must be empathetic, able to instill confidence, and unthreatened by the success of others. Leaders must embrace the team concept and recognize that achievement is possible only through consensus and cooperation. Leadership requires unselfishness and the ability to step back and allow others to shine.

3. “Surrounding Yourself with More of You”
When building an executive team or replacing a key individual, leaders often hire people with whom they identify. A candidate’s vibrant personality and solid sales record may be enough to impress an executive who was also an outstanding salesperson. The boss may be so smitten that he fails to conduct a proper interview, check references or seek feedback from the new hire’s future colleagues. Surrounding yourself with others who “live on your wavelength” often contributes to an uninspired, unproductive workplace. Hiring mistakes are costly and impede organizational development. You can create an unhealthy environment if you have executive team members who rarely disagree or challenge each other. Getting along and being satisfied with the status quo often contribute to mediocrity and lack of innovation. Welcoming dissenting viewpoints and opinions leads to sustainable growth.

At one national independent oil company, 360-degree feedback assessments indicated that most senior executives preferred an aggressive, “direct communication style” similar to the CEO’s. At the organization’s lower levels, however, 70% of employees preferred “indirect communication,” a slower, more systematic approach. The acute imbalances created by the “hiring biases” on both sides led to stagnation as the workforce resisted the executive team’s push for rapid action. The damage was too extensive to repair and another firm bought the company out, resulting in hundreds of lost jobs.

Multiple studies show that managers largely ignore diversity when hiring. Only 4.2% of Fortune 500 CEOs were minorities and only 4% were female. Global companies with “30% or more women managers and board members ‘outperformed’ those with less than 20%” female representation on their boards. Sharp CEOs who utilize EQ examine their hiring practices and bring in new people who may see things another way. If you’re hiring, look beyond your personal agenda, focus on the organization’s needs and be empathetic toward those who are different.

4. “Not Letting Go of Control”
Most business owners and senior managers understand the importance of delegating responsibility and encouraging people to develop their skills, self-awareness and confidence. Some executives struggle with relinquishing control and trusting others. Instead of focusing on major concerns – such as marketing strategy or talent development – these bosses get involved in issues that mid-level managers could handle. “Micromanaging” can be a problem for entrepreneurs who built their businesses and had a hand in every decision along the way.

Some “control freaks” see themselves as indispensable; they believe nothing can be accomplished without their input and expertise. Others are afraid of losing touch with the day-to-day operations or being perceived as lazy “fat cats.” Some executives don’t understand the distinction between control – ensuring the execution of management’s directives – and leadership – setting goals and empowering others to carry out your plans. Relinquishing control means stepping back to assess a situation instead of instinctively jumping into the fray. Do you trust your employees? Have you created a favorable environment that helps them succeed? Does your involvement excite and energize your team, or stifle and irritate it?

If you have trust issues with your team members, give them a project or assignment, stand back and don’t interfere. This will give you an opportunity to observe their strengths and weaknesses, and to see if you need to make any personnel changes. Your team will make mistakes, but don’t let that dampen your perception of them. Mistakes are learning opportunities and will strengthen your operation in the long run.

5. “Being Blind to Your Downstream Impact”
Leaders underestimate the impact of their decisions and behaviors – especially impulsive or arbitrary rulings – on their organizations as well as on their employees. A new directive that deviates significantly from operational protocol can create chaos. Employees may wonder how unexpected new projects align with current strategy. Further confusion results if the boss has to backtrack and tell the team to abandon the new project and return to an old one. Though their intentions may be honorable, executives who act rashly produce undesirable consequences.

Egotistical leaders get so self-absorbed that they overlook others’ needs and responsibilities. They sometimes forget that their employees consider their requests to be high priorities, even when they cause disruption and discomfort. Employees don’t want to disappoint the boss. Before implementing a new policy or initiative, assess the likely impact on your team. Ask yourself whether your new idea is ego-driven or has real potential to benefit your organization.

6. “Underestimating How Much You Are Being Watched”
Executives understand that others always observe them. But they often remain unaware of how closely they are scrutinized – from their conduct and manners to the style of their emails. Employees want to make their superiors happy and tend to model themselves according to how their boss speaks and behaves. They might interpret even a casual remark as policy. Leaders cannot afford to act inappropriately or downplay their daily influence on others.

Leaders set the behavioral tone for their organizations. Unprofessional conduct at an offsite office party, for instance, conveys the message that workplace standards don’t matter outside the office. Employees also copy less-obvious behaviors, such as executives who regularly arrive late in the morning or pass up opportunities to spend time with frontline workers. An effective leader cannot be “one of the guys,” because the employees hold the boss to a higher standard. Higher-ups expect effective leaders to provide direction and inspiration and to be role models for the firm’s cultural standards.

7. “Losing Touch with the Frontline Experience”
On Undercover Boss, an Emmy Award-winning TV show, CEOs of prominent companies struggle to work alongside rank-and-file employees. The show illustrates the widespread problems created by executives who can’t identify with those working in the trenches. As executives rise through the ranks, occupy fancier offices and socialize with more influential people, they become disconnected from the basic elements that make their companies successful – such as customer service and product delivery. They can also lose sight of how seemingly minor decisions affect operations and employee morale. Losing touch with your frontline operation can mean missing out on vital information that affects your competitiveness. You also run the risk of alienating or losing the respect of employees who might question your knowledge about the business. Engaging your frontline workers means getting out of the executive suite and spending time with your employees. Zappos, Nordstrom and Disney executives are involved in maintaining their reputations for exceptional customer service. Their cultures prioritize having executives maintain ongoing connections to the consumer.

8. “Relapsing Back to Your Old Ways”
Applying emotional intelligence is only part of the success equation. You must remain committed to the EQ concept, especially when you’re tempted to return to old, ego-driven habits. Incidents and situations at work can trigger a relapse that will foster skepticism among your team members about your sincerity and dedication. Once it’s lost, credibility is difficult to regain.

Adopting an EQ mentality often forces executives to leave their comfort zones. Staying vigilant and focused requires a conscious effort to exercise self-awareness, sensitivity and empathy. If you feel yourself slipping, take time for self-evaluation. Acknowledge that you aren’t perfect and let your flaws show. Your employees will admire you for committing to emotional intelligence.

GLOBE: Global Leadership and Organizational Behavior Effectiveness Research Project

Overview

GLOBE (Global Leadership and Organizational Behavior Effectiveness Research Project) is an international group of social scientists and management scholars who study cross-cultural leadership.

In 1993, Robert J. House founded the project at the University of Pennsylvania. The project looked at 62 societies with different cultures, which were studied by researchers working in their home countries.This international team collected data from 17,300 middle managers in 951 organizations and grouped 62 countries into ten geographic clusters, including Latin American, Nordic European, Sub-Saharan, and Confucian Asian. The research identified nine cultural competencies that distinguish approaches to leadership. The research also identified six global dimensions by which to compare and contrast leadership behaviors.

Bases for Leadership Comparisons
The GLOBE project identified nine cultural dimensions, called competencies, with which the leadership approaches within geographic clusters can be compared and contrasted:

1. Performance orientation refers to the extent to which an organization or society encourages and rewards group members for performance improvement and excellence.
2. Assertiveness orientation is the degree to which individuals in organizations or societies are assertive, confrontational, and aggressive in social relationships.
3. Future orientation is the degree to which individuals in organizations or societies engage in future-oriented behaviors such as planning, investing in the future, and delaying gratification.
4. Human orientation is the degree to which individuals in organizations or societies encourage and reward individuals for being fair, altruistic, friendly, generous, caring, and kind to others.
5. Collectivism I (institutional collectivism) is the degree to which organizational and societal institutional practices encourage and reward collective distribution of resources and collective action.
6. Collectivism II (in-group collectivism) is the degree to which individuals express pride, loyalty, and cohesiveness in their organizations or families.
7. Gender egalitarianism is the extent to which an organization or a society minimizes gender role differences and gender discrimination.
8. Power distance is the degree to which members of an organization or society expect and agree that power should be unequally shared.
9. Uncertainty avoidance is the extent to which members of an organization or society strive to avoid uncertainty by reliance on social norms, rituals, and bureaucratic practices to alleviate the unpredictability of future events.

GLOBE Leadership Dimensions
Following extensive review of the research, GLOBE participants grouped leadership characteristics into six dimensions. Researchers then made recommendations about how dimensions of culture and leadership could distinguish behavior in one country or culture from another. Known as the six GLOBE dimensions of culturally endorsed implicit leadership, these leadership dimensions include:

1. Charismatic or value-based: Characterized by integrity and decisiveness; performance-oriented by appearing visionary, inspirational, and self-sacrificing; can also be toxic and allow for autocratic commanding.
2. Team-oriented: Characterized by diplomacy, administrative competence, team collaboration, and integration.
3. Self-protective: Characterized by self-centeredness, face-saving, and procedural behavior capable of inducing conflict when necessary, while being conscious of status.
4. Participative: Characterized by non-autocratic behavior that encourages involvement and engagement and that is supportive of those who are being led.
5. Human orientation: Characterized by modesty and compassion for others in an altruistic fashion.
6. Autonomous: Characterized by ability to function without constant consultation, also, highly individualistic, independent and unique.


Reference:
Clegg, S.R., Kornberger, M., & Pitsis, T.S. (2016). Managing and Organizations: An Introduction to Theory and Practice (4th Edition). UK: SAGE Publications Ltd.