Frank Uncovers Excellence in Leadership

© Copyright Frank D. Kanu 2000-2008

As managers, we all make mistakes - sometimes ;)!

By examining those mistakes, we can develop solutions to avoid them and to learn from them. But first - what do we consider mistakes? Of course there are many lists available, here is one of them:

1. No goals
2. Communication failures
3. Bossy style
4. Trying to be everybody’s darling
5. No motivation
6. Missing standards
7. No conflict management
8. Change is evil
9. Not leading by example
10. Wrong compensation
11. Lack of training/education
12. Stress is not managed
13. Unrealistic deadlines
14. Intolerance
15. Ignoring the existing knowledge base
16. No fun

I am sure you can come up with a lot of your own!

My book Stop Telling… Start Leading! The Art of Managing People by Asking Questions names the 13 deadly sins managers have to avoid.

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© Copyright Frank D. Kanu 2000-2008

In the fifth century B.C. the Greek philosopher Socrates perfected a method of teaching in which he would ask disarmingly simple questions that actually forced people to admit what they didn’t know. As you read this book, you’ll find a number of questions that follow the Socratic tradition. The reason? Today’s managers need more than the predefined answers we might think are correct, but which seldom fit the problem at hand.

     Stop Telling… Start Leading is a work book and should be used as such. It offers many open-ended questions to the manager, offering ways to determine why something has gone off-center. Because every manager is different-the result of education, cultural background, ethnicity, etc.-offering predefined “one size fits all” answers can’t do it any longer. Managers need to answer tough, pointed questions that will force them to come to terms with their goals. Once they do that, they can manage more effectively and more positively-which helps them and their team.

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© Copyright Frank D. Kanu 2000-2008

Do you get what you want? Is it fast enough? Do you feel like you work too hard, too many hours? Have no fun, no passion?
Let me ask you:

HOW SERIOUS ARE YOU?

Dead serious? Still halfhearted? Secret backdoors open? Still in the dress rehearsal? Or even waiting for a miracle?
Well, I’ve got news for you: it won’t get better, it’ll get worse!
Outstanding success only comes to those who are DEAD SERIOUS about what they are committed to create. There’s no messing with someone like that.

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© Copyright Frank D. Kanu 2000-2008

A great many feel like they became a victim of stress. Stress is well known today as silent killer, being responsible for death, illness, lost productivity and conflict within both the work and home environment. Still—we fill our day with activities causing us more stress. Sometimes out of need—sometimes because we see it as pleasure.

It is important to understand how to work with stress instead of fighting it. Because fighting stress will just cause you more—stress…

Can you

• Define stress?
• Analyze stress?
• Create solutions instead of more stress?

Stress management is on of the many keys to improved productivity. And more fun in life

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© Copyright Frank D. Kanu 2000-2008

All managers learn the planning, leading, organizing and controlling model.

Those are the four established dimensions of management.

But there is a fifth dimension of management: the people that make up the business.

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© Copyright Frank D. Kanu 2000-2008

Every business is made up of people, and how you treat those people determines how they will treat your customers.

As a good manager you should not only be interested in seeing people grow in what they do but also in who they are.

A Winning Attitude

It is important that you help employees to take ownership—mainly through self-interest. Get individuals to take responsibility for the influence that they have on circumstances around them. And then help them to learn how to use a “positive” attitude to influence those circumstances—so that they lead to increased productivity and profitability.

People Are Never the Problem

Help them understand how they unwittingly contribute to the interpersonal tensions that they experience. Next build strategies together with them to minimize those interpersonal tensions. This leads to a more relaxed lifestyle and work environment where people “play the ball and not the player”. Problems are solved as problems and the people involved still have their dignity intact.

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© Copyright Frank D. Kanu 2000-2008

From their page:
“Recognized worldwide as the standard in online plagiarism prevention, Turnitin helps educators and students take full advantage of the internet’s educational potential. Used by thousands of institutions in over eighty countries, Turnitin’s products promote originality in student work, improve student writing and research skills, encourage collaborative learning, and save valuable instructor time.”

Ok, I have seen the results of a term paper. And I have to say I am impressed. Deeply impressed (NOT) with the results marking a bibliography with well more then 30% plagiarism. A bibliography! For crying out loud—that’s where you name other books and most authors do that. Of course you will find it somewhere…

Think that’s bad? It can get even worst:

Henry Kissinger the Secretary of State of the United States from 1973 to 1977 1%
Henry Kissinger Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs 1%

So let me get this straight - you give the correct job description and it is plagiarism? Buwahaha!

Naming your source—point deduction—because that has been done before…

in search of a better life 18%

Makes you wonder how much “Good morning” will cost you…

You be the judge. For me it’s clear that a system marking a bibliography as plagiarized is a big piece of junk. Oh darn—that’s plagiariezed too!!

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© Copyright Frank D. Kanu 2000-2008

Each and every one of us is in charge of a highly sophisticated computer. So far more powerful and complex than any machine that has been built by man: Our brain.
Research has shown that we only use about 3—4% of the capacity of the brain.

So what can you do to increase the power of your brain?

A few points to start with:

• Be aware of conscious and subconscious; left and right brain
• Know how to work smarter, not harder
• Trust your subconscious
• Program your brain positively—increasing your confidence and your memory

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