In this time of economic uncertainty, having transformational leaders is crucial to the success of our organizations.

Leadership is the ability to influence the thinking, commitment, and behaviors of others.
Transformational leaders are able to:

• Facilitate the proactive adaptation to change on the part of others;
• Understand and manage the relationship between the human dimensions of work and exceptional performance;
• Understand and manage a spectrum of people, competencies, and styles;
• Understand that the external results one produces is a direct consequence of one’s inner motivation;
• Have an in-depth understanding of one’s self.

Leadership/Management Support—A Personal Assessment

Instructions: Take five minutes to evaluate yourself in terms of your overall workplace performance in a leadership and/or managerial support role. Use a scale of 0 (lowest) to 10 (highest) for each statement with respect to employees under your supervision or those you work with.

1. I am skillful at facilitating both the professional development and personal growth of employees I lead/supervise.
2. I am comfortable working with people who have beliefs and values divergently different from my own.
3. I ensure an environment where high performance is expected and achieved.
4. I ensure, by measurement, a “worker-friendly” environment where employees experience work-life quality and balance.
5. I proactively engage in personal and professional growth.

For the item where you feel as if you rank the lowest, find a colleague or friend outside of work that you trust to give you honest feedback on  two to three Small Acts of Inclusion® might be able to incorporate immediately that would have an impact.

Innovations recommends our course Leading During Turbulent Times—The FuturePerfect Leadership Model as the first step in implementing positive change in the workplace. For more information on transforming your organization please contact us.

If you liked this self-assessment, you might also like our free High Performance Leadership Self Test at www.innovint.com

Dealing with Differences is a challenge whether it is at home or in the workplace.  Here are a few key tips that can help with the process.


1. Realize that how we view the world is through our unique reality— our reality is not necessarily right or superior to others.
2. Be willing to acknowledge that we all have biases and prejudices—tell the truth.
3. Consider the possibility that most insensitivities are unintentional—assume most people are well-intentioned.
4. Be open to feedback when you experience conflict that involves diversity—have the courage to admit that you might have been too quick to judgement or that you might have offended someone.
5. Create experiences and friendships across diversity differences—experiencing others in relationship is the most powerful way to create diversity!
6. Be willing to confront your fears of experiencing differences—have the courage to change and grow, it is key to our survival.
7. Be willing to explore issues of human equality—we all seek to be superior to others in some way.
8. Remember, diversity is a process of continuously learning through experiencing the differences in others–create a relationship with someone with whom you have the greatest prejudice!

We value ourselves as fully worthy, complete, and whole, by virtue of simply being human.
We require no confirmation or proof, through accomplishments, of this fundamental given.
We accept this given about ourselves and live consistent with it.
We view ourselves, both individually and collectively, as bearing the major responsibility for changing our
condition.
We recognize and acknowledge that empowerment, individually and as a people, is earned only through
expanded personal and group responsibility and accountability for our success, and full participation in the
global society.
We live true to our ability to realize our potential as a people and our acknowledged contribution to America’s success and the success of the planet.

We view our ethnic cultural diversity as an example to the world of how the rich integration of cultural
heritages has evolved into a beautiful, proud, and spiritual mosaic.
We value and embrace the diversity of colors, physical differences, modes of expression, points of view, and personal choices of all those who choose to be classified as African Americans.
We recognize and realize our natural potential for contribution to the evolution of global diversity and
human equality across the planet.

We value the opportunity for full participation in the totality of American society and acknowledge the fact that opportunities presently exist which are unprecedented in American history.

We further acknowledge that these opportunities will require diligence, persistence, and commitment that will test us in ways which are presently not required for other Americans.
We individually and collectively must transform our focus from what has not been available, as a reason for limited participation and dedication, into a focus with intensity upon that which we choose to achieve—here and now.

We recognize that a major step in our full realization of the “American Dream,” is our mutual support for each other, economically, politically, educationally, emotionally, and spiritually. We must recapture, as a people, our fundamental African-based values as a source of self-love and self-respect.

We must form networks for mutual economic and political support in order to achieve success, so that we might more effectively contribute to American and global harmony.

We acknowledge that the concern for ourselves, as African Americans, is an intermediate step en route to the ultimate achievement of global cultural integration.

We view cultural integration as a context where all people of the planet are valued, accepted, as humanly equal, and involved in mutually supportive activities.
We are ultimately committed to the creation of a global mosaic that is founded upon a set of human values which transcend our individual or group differences.
William A. Guillory, Ph.D.

Here are some quick tips that we suggest for active listening:

1. Maintain an open mind – Make a conscious decision to be open and receptive to challenging dialogue.
2. Focus on the person – Attempt to avoid all distractions and give the person your undivided attention.
3. Control your emotions – Focus inwardly when you experience a reaction to what is being communicated to understand the emotional message of the person.
4. Show interest – Smile or nod when you agree; avoid shaking your head in disagreement even when you are not convinced of their ideas or opinions.
5. Formulate overall impressions – At regular intervals, summarize in your mind what is being communicated.
6. Evaluate the content – Evaluate the content of the communication, not the person or his or her style of delivery.
7. Read between the lines – Listen for hidden messages between the lines using your intuition. (Subliminal communication)
8. Practice makes mastery – Remember, mastery comes with practice; particularly of non-verbal cues or messages.

If you incorporate these simple steps each day, you will see significant improvement in the quality of your relationships with others, both at the workplace and in other parts of your life.

Danny

Most organizations when creating diversity and inclusion focus their efforts on top leadership or middle management.  Another group that also needs to be addressed is the broad based workforce.   This group will experience behaviors related to diversity and inclusion in a more direct way than any other element in the organization.   They are also the medium through which diversity and inclusion can spread in viral, immediate way.  We recently developed a new program entitled Small Acts of Inclusion, a behvaior based program through which behaviors that promote inclusion can be spread in an immediate manner (One person I was speaking with characterized it as an injection of inlcusion into the corporate bloodstream).   Through the Small Acts of Inclusion program, an individual can practice behavior that promote diversity and inclusion on their own, and spread them through their own social networks.  This can be done in person, and using technology, creating a viral spread that it is impossible to replicate through a traditional effort.

After looking at our free e-book on Small Acts of Inclusion, I invite you for one week to incorporate five of the behavior into your daily routine both at home and at work and see what the effect is on your co-workers and those around you (both in person, and virtually if you use Social Networking applications like Facebook, LinkedIn or Twitter).

Danny