ARE YOU A LEADER? While every effort has been made to ensure this presentation is accurate, neither the National Association of Women in Construction nor the author of the presentation accept liability for any damages resulting from the use of or reliance on the information contained in this presentation. The material in this presentation may not be changed without express written permission from the author. It may not be sold to others and is for use by the National Association of Women in Construction only. One of our goals is to train our future leaders. Although you may not think you are a leader, or have leadership traits, you may be surprised. Today we are going to review the traits of leaders, determine which ones you have and which ones you can achieve. (You can do the whole thing, or just take a section at a time depending on how much time you have.) Leaders come in many shapes, sizes and personalities. Some are good and some are good at managing but are poor leaders. Difference of manager versus leader. Managers are more structured, controlled, analytical, orderly, and rule-oriented. On the other hand leaders are more experimental, visionary, unstructured, flexible, and impassioned. Managers and leaders are not the same. They think differently internally, and behave differently externally. Today we are going to talk about what makes a good leader and help you become one of those. Let’s start by talking about what a leader is…

WHAT IS A LEADER? Willingness to take ownership of something greater than oneself. Positive outlook. Responsible for the welfare of the group. Good leadership encourages everyone’s evolution. Leadership is (read a couple of them and insert the following as well.) They stretch themselves and other. Being upbeat determines the overall attitude of the Team. How do you project a positive attitude? Your focus is on making others do better, you look good too.

WHAT IS A LEADER? Leaders can be found throughout an organization – not just at the top! Leaders don’t do it alone. Leaders don’t need to be the smartest people. They do need to be comfortable admitting what they don’t know and not be afraid to ask questions.

LEADER TRAITS/QUALITIES Understand the big picture. Work together as a team. Set goals that challenge but don’t overwhelm.

LEADER TRAITS/QUALITIES Confidence - they don’t ask permission – they do the job. Delegate. Set the stage for a constructive, harmonious and efficient operation.

LEADER TRAITS/QUALITIES Vision Their visions and priorities are lean and compelling, not cluttered and buzzword-laden. Their decisions are crisp and clear, not tentative and ambiguous. They convey an unwavering firmness and consistency in their actions, aligned with the picture of the future they paint. The result: clarity of purpose, credibility of leadership, and integrity in organization.

LEADER TRAITS/QUALITIES Take risks and willing to make waves Good leadership involves responsibility to the welfare of the group, which means that some people will get angry at your actions and decisions. It's inevitable, if you're honorable. Trying to get everyone to like you is a sign of mediocrity – you will avoid the tough decisions and avoid confronting the people who need to be confronted. Ironically, by procrastinating on the difficult choices, by trying not to get anyone mad, and by treating everyone equally "nicely" regardless of their contributions, you will simply ensure that the only people you wind up angering are the most creative and productive people in the organization. Remember, you are not going to please all the people all the time! It is impossible. You need to focus on doing the very best job you can, with the understanding that your decisions are what is best for the Association, the group or your company. If you do that, you should be comfortable with your decisions and know that even though not everyone is happy, you did the right thing!

SO YOU WANT TO BE A LEADER? "Never let your ego get so close to your position that when your position goes, your ego goes with it.“ - General Colin Powell Leaders have power - use it wisely! Power is the ability to get things done through others. Types of power: Authority Relationships Knowledge The next thing we want to talk about is a leader’s power. There are many kinds of powers. You need to recognize them so you don’t abuse the power.

SO YOU WANT TO BE A LEADER? Types of power: Authority Relationships Knowledge So let’s talk a little about each of the powers you have.

AUTHORITY Just by virtue of position you have authority. A good leader does not need to remind the team who is in charge.

AUTHORITY Use this authority to encourage ideas and get contributions from the team. Too often, change is stifled by people who cling to familiar turfs and job descriptions. One reason that even large organizations wither is that managers won't challenge old, comfortable ways of doing things. Effective leaders create a climate where people’s worth is determined by their willingness to learn new skills and grab new responsibilities, thus perpetually reinventing their jobs. EXERCISE: (You may want to write these on a board so everyone can see) THINK ABOUT THE BEST BOSS/LEADER YOU EVER HAD WHAT QUALITIES DID THEY HAVE? WHY DID YOU THINK THEY WERE THE BEST? THINK ABOUT THE WORST BOSS/LEADER YOU EVER HAD WHAT QUALITIES DID THEY LACK? (Summarize the qualities you want to have and the ones that may be lacking that you want to work on having) OK now let’s talk about relationships…

RELATIONSHIPS Keep relationships positive. Acknowledge them often. Create new relationships outside the team. Relationships are very important when a leader is working on a project or recruiting for a team.

RELATIONSHIPS Network. Be accessible. Let people know who you are and why they want to know/work with you and your group. EXERCISE: THINK ABOUT THAT BEST BOSS/LEADER AND YOUR RELATIONSHIP. WHAT THINGS WOULD YOU DO FOR THEM THAT YOU WOULDN’T DO FOR THE WORST BOSS/LEADER? WHY WOULD YOU DO THEM? (Again, track these traits that you want to develop as a leader.) There are many relationships and you want to focus on positive, open relationships. How do you get new members, new team members and new customers? RELATIONSHIPS! Remember, everything you say and do builds (or destroys) relationships. You are ALWAYS an ambassador for your company, your chapter or your Team. A leader continues to build and strengthen relationships every single day. (Give examples of building relationships.) OK Let’s talk about the last power you have …knowledge.

KNOWLEDGE "Great leaders are almost always great simplifiers, who can cut through argument, debate and doubt, to offer a solution everybody can understand.“ - General Colin Powell Be knowledgeable – do your homework. Continue to learn. EXERCISE: IF YOU HAD TO GIVE A 15-MINUTE PRESENTATION TO YOUR CHAPTER/TEAM, WHAT TOPICS COULD YOU COVER? (MEMBERSHIP, LEADERSHIP, PUBLIC SPEAKING, THE GOALS OF THE CHAPTER, EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS ETC.) Make a list of presentations.. Write up a quick presentation and practice it. What if your chapter needed a speaker because one did not show? Could you step up and do a presentation? What if you meet a potential client for your company? Do you have a “canned” presentation on the benefits of your company, your chapter or your project?

KNOWLEDGE Find A Mentor. Don’t hesitate to share and be a mentor. Seek advice and counsel from others. Learn from the pros, observe them, seek them out as mentors and partners. But remember that even the pros may have leveled out in terms of their learning and skills. Sometimes even the pros can become complacent and lazy. Leadership does not emerge from blind obedience to anyone. Xerox's Barry Rand was right on target when he warned his people that if you have a yes-man working for you, one of you is redundant. Don’t hesitate to share and be a mentor. Do you have a mentor? How have they helped you? Are you a mentor? What are you doing to help your Mentee?

IMAGE Leaders are continually watched and emulated. As a leader, you are always representing something – your company, your team and/or your association. You must act accordingly. Think about what you say before you say it! Think about what you do before you do it! OK now you know what power you have and you know how to use it wisely. Let’s talk about a leader’s image. This is VERY important. You only get one chance to make a first impression. (As you go through image items, give examples.)

IMAGE One insensitive comment may have a negative impact on your vision and thus your team and company. One inappropriate act lasts a lifetime! Remember – moderation in everything you do!

COMMUNICATION VERBAL Is your voice firm or little girl cute? Do you whine? Use slang? Improper grammar? Do not use inappropriate language. Another extremely important trait of a Leader is how they communicate. This is done both verbally and non verbally. Let’s talk about verbal skills. No matter how good a speaker you are, you should ALWAYS practice a speech before giving it. Know your audience. Don’t make racial, sexist or religious or political jokes ~ you can lose your audience or create a bad impression with a few insensitive comments. (You can share experiences on any of the above statements.)

COMMUNICATION VERBAL Speak with an even pace and enunciate clearly! Practice projecting authority. Practice speaking before getting up before a group. No matter how good a speaker you are, you should ALWAYS practice a speech before giving it. Know your audience. Don’t make racial, sexist or religious or political jokes ~ you can lose your audience or create a bad impression with a few insensitive comments. (You can share experiences on any of the above statements.)

COMMUNICATION NON VERBAL Do you dress for success? Business casual for men does not necessarily work for women. Walk with confidence. Don’t smile if the situation does not call for it. Non Verbal communication is also VERY important. This also ties in to the first impression you give. You should dress for the position you want, not the one you have! (You can discuss dress codes, appearances, walking tall etc in this area.)

COMMUNICATION NON VERBAL Have a firm, friendly handshake. Look people in the eye when you speak to them. Keep your facial expression consistent with your message. EXERCISE: Break off in to groups and each attendee list a trait they have and one you are going to work on that you don’t have. How are you going to work on it? Set a goal. (Give them some time to work on this and when you reconvene, you can ask for volunteers to share a trait they want to work on and how they are going to do it. If you don’t get volunteers, have some ideas of your own on how they can work on some verbal or non-verbal communication skills.)

Are You A Leader? Leadership may be lonely. Harry Truman was right. Whether you're a CEO or the temporary head of a project team, the buck stops here. You can encourage participative management and bottom-up employee involvement, but ultimately the essence of leadership is the willingness to make the tough, unambiguous choices that will have an impact on the fate of the organization. A true leader takes the responsibility for her actions and those of her team. It’s lonely at the top is not just a cliché’. Great ideas come together when working as a group, and the job goes faster. Yes it can be lonely, but it can also be very rewarding. Think carefully about your decisions, don’t rush to make a decision, but live with your choice.

Are You A Leader? “I've seen too many non-leaders flinch from this responsibility. Even as you create an informal, open, collaborative corporate culture, prepare to be lonely.” - General Colin Powell

Are You A Leader? A LEADER: KEEPS THE OBJECTIVES CLEAR AND ATTAINABLE. ENGAGES THE TEAM IN CREATING A VISION. ENSURES THE TEAM HAS COMMON GOALS. So let’s summarize. (Review the list on the screen.)

Are You A Leader? A LEADER: TAKES RISKS AND MAKES WAVES. IS ALWAYS ETHICAL. MAINTAINS A POSTIVE AND UPBEAT ATTITUDE.

Are You A Leader? A LEADER: ADMITS TO MISTAKES. COMMUNICATES. KNOWS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN FAILURE AND LEARNING. These are important traits. You may not have all of them, but I bet you each have some of them and can work on the rest.

Are You A Leader? A LEADER: TAKES THE TASK SERIOUSLY AND THEMSELVES LIGHTLY. HAS FUN! Remember, be the very best leader you can be, mentor those that you see can be outstanding leaders and HAVE FUN! Thank you.

ARE YOU A LEADER? Prepared by Sharon Mc Guinness, CCA,CIT, AFSB Greater Phoenix Chapter #98 Chris Wigginton, CIT Spokane Chapter #143