We all know the issue of playing favorites is one of the most deadly trust busters in an organization. The conundrum is that every leader really does have favorites and uses these people more than the not-so-favored people for certain tasks. If you are a leader and deny this, check your reality meter – you may be out of gas.

Given this problem, how can a leader go about running the most efficient organization and still beat the debilitating stigma of playing favorites?  The answer lies in doing 4 things:

1. Have some standards for certain jobs that allow the people with a particular talent to do those functions.
2. Discuss the issue of favoritism often in public to diffuse the accusation of being “clueless.”
3. Operate outside your “normal groove” for some small percent of the time.
4. Have a strong policy of cross training all people in the organizations.

Read full analysis in this white paper http://www.leadergrow.com/PlayingFavorites.pdf

According to the Edleman Trust Barometer, the US suffered the most significant trust reduction in history during the last half of 2008, and 2009 has not seen a significant rebound. We are in a national crisis of trust.

All leaders would like to make improvements in trust because they realize the incredible loss in morale and productivity that occur when trust is deminished. Unfortunately, the draconian actions required to survive make building trust in these economic times seem impossible.

My model for building trust is easy to understand and apply. It is equally effective in times of prosperity or great uncertainty. The model describes three areas of focus:

• Table Stakes - like the “ante” in poker where certain conditions are required to even play in the game.
• Enabling Actions – where the more you do of these things, the higher trust you can build.
• Reinforcing Candor – the elusive but key ingredient that makes the most difference in building trust in organizations. This includes the “ratchet effect” of how trust is hard to build but easy to destroy.

Read white paper on the entire model
http://www.leadergrow.com/ReinforceCandorItBuildsTrustandTransparency.pdf

Leadership stereotypes are numerous in our society. You can see them every day on the cartoon pages of your local newspaper. People cut out their favorite “skewer the boss” strips and hang them on the wall at work. They send emails with jokes poking fun at inept leaders. If they are not poking fun, they are complaining.

Leaders themselves are not exempt from the “fun.” It may help people cope with their frustrating lives, but underneath it all is a current that is swift and dangerous. By dealing in stereotypes, people write off opportunities to improve their own lives and become great leaders themselves. That is the reason why it is important to address the myths surrounding leadership.

1 – Great leaders are highly intelligent.
2 – Great leaders work harder.
3 – Great leaders look the part.
4 – Great leaders have a college education.
5 – Great leaders are expert at playing politics.
6 – Great leaders have large egos.

Read full white paper  http://www.leadergrow.com/SixGreatMythsaboutLeadership.pdf

Most leaders realize that good reinforcement for wanted behavior will cause more of it to happen. The sad truth is that a high percentege of well-intended positive reinforcement actually backfires and causes more harm than good.

Learn how to avoid the four most common problems in reinforcement and how to build a true reinforcing culture in your organization. Doing this will have the biggest ROI of any activity you could imagine. Read how to do it http://www.leadergrow.com/UbiquitousReinforcement.pdf

For years I have been teaching that when people communicate face to face only about 7% of the meaning comes from the words that are used. It turns out this information stems back to some research done by Albert Mehrabian in 1967, and his study has been mis quoted or misinterpreted ever since. Take a look at this video by “Creativity Works” for an update on how we really take in information.

If you have read Patrick Lencioni’s “Death by Meeting” you are already aware that using the meeting format better can actually manufacture time. Here are five tips to improve your meetings.

1. Reduce griping and venting. The leader of the meeting can allow people to vent, but not have it become a debilitating whirlpool.
2. Use the agenda wisely. Know when to follow the script and when to rip it up.
3. Summarize the discussion frequently. This prevents an endless cycle of people in violent agreement.
4. Agree to disagree. Use the rule of three to cut off acromony without hurting people’s feelings.
5. Manage the time efficiently. Make sure people feel the value in the meeting time.

Read the logic behind these rules in my white paper. http://www.leadergrow.com/YourmeetingDon’tletitbeanAlbatross.pdf