Michelle Hanchey 4 Comments

Unleash Your Leadership Potential

Personal leadership development

The corner stone of your leadership strategy is to know yourself and to make your self- development a high priority.

Personal development is a lifelong mission that is never complete. When you take the time to assess yourself and think about how you would like to grow, doors start opening.

The most successful people are not people who rely on their raw talent – they are people who continue to grow throughout their lifetime through conscious choice.

Your personal development begins with a hard look at where you are, your strengths, and where you can improve. Personal assessments can be an incredibly helpful tool in this process. A professional assessment gives you an outside perspective on your work style, your values, and your communication skills.

Every leader has a different style, different life experiences and a unique outlook.  The better you understand yourself, your strengths and weaknesses, the better you will be to lead others as well as give them the tools they need to better understand themselves.

Beside personal assessments, you can utilize reading materials, as well as attend leadership workshops.  Getting together with similar people will inspire commitment and creativity which in turn boosts your efforts.

Here are a few more of the personal skills that will prepare you as a leader:

  1. Develop your EQ (emotional intelligence). People with high emotional intelligence (EQ) are consistently the top performers in their organizations. They are more resilient and flexible when things get tough. They are held in the highest regard by their bosses, peers, co-workers and others. When faced with pressure and stress can you handle it, stay poised, calm, and effective no matter what.
  2. A strategic leader has strong abilities to communicate
  3. Hone your ability to listen. Too many leaders are full of themselves and think they have all the solutions and then wonder why their people are not engaged and do not perform well.
  4. Develop strong self-management skills and organizational
  5. Foresight is a skill that comes with practice in working through all potential outcomes. This skill will help you and your team make plans 3 months, 6 months, or a year or more in advance. The key is knowing how to design a winning strategy, and how to execute it effectively using foresight.
  6. Tenacity is a skill that enables the leader to push through when things go wrong.

“You don’t become a leader in a classroom. Leadership is earned on the basis of people who choose to follow you. It’s not granted or anointed by some holy water granted in a school,” according to Harvard Business School Journal.

One of the best places to safely apply what you learn as a leader is the international non-profit organization called Toastmasters.  Here you can hone leadership skills, learn new skills and have a community of people who are working to become the best version of themselves while helping others do the same.

 

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Look Professional On-Line

LOOK PROFESSIONAL ON-LINE

In today’s virtual world it is important to look like a professional and less like an amateur, no matter what field of work you are in.  Your appearance matters in person and even more so during an on-line meeting.  On-line people are  limited in the number of ways they get to know and trust you.

Plus, you don’t want your boss to think that you are a sloth too lazy to get out of you PJ’s all day.  Go on a virtual meeting in a Hawaii shirt with a bedhead and you will be judged. That fleeting and uninformed impression will have your competence called into question.

It pays to strategize about how to look professional during your online meetings.  Just a bit of effort can lead to dramatically improved results.

  • Look at The Camera When Talking: In the virtual world looking someone in the eye means looking into your camera. While this takes some practice, seasoned professionals who do a lot of web conference calls make it a point to look at their webcam when speaking or listening to a specific person on the call rather than looking at the speaker’s video image.   While looking at someone’s image is perfectly natural (we do it in person), looking at your camera gives the impression that you’re looking directly at the person who is watching you.  This creates a stronger connection and builds confidence in your abilities.   Just make sure that your camera is at eye-level and we are not looking up your nostrils.
  • Posture: Sit up straight, slightly forward, shoulders square to your camera and you will look in control and attentive. Positive body language will help those in your virtual meeting feel much more comfortable and positive about you.  Dress professionally from the waist up.  It will give you an extra boost of confidence and enhance your professional image.
  •  Dress for Success: One of the magical things about working remotely is the freedom to wear anything to work. It’s the dream. However, when you are in a virtual meeting your coworkers will be less than thrilled to see your wrinkled clothes and unkept hair.   Dress professionally at least from the waist up.  It will give you an extra boost of confidence and enhance your professional image.

DO

  1. Wear a collar but don’t wear a low cut top or sleeveless shirt.
  2. Avoid busy, repeating patterns or material with a sheen
  3. Stick to solid colors that work with your skin tone.
  4. Avoid reflective jewelry and jewelry with a jangle.
  5. Leave the hats and caps off because they are too casual.
  • Mens Hair:  A good cut covers the top halves of your ears. No comb-overs please.   Make sure no stray hairs are sticking up.  Keep beards and mustaches well-trimmed and off the lips.  If bald check your camera for shine.  A little clear powder will make a difference.
  • Ladies Hair: Ladies, your hair acts like a good frame.  It should flatter your face without drawing undue attention.  Allow ¾-inch clearance from having hair around the eyes to avoid unwanted shadows.   Also, a little volume is always good.  If you color your hair, make sure it’s not a solid blob of color.
  • Makeup: Ladies to come across best on camera, your makeup should be an understatement and your foundation should match your skin tone.  Blend your makeup to avoid foundation lines.  Choose a soft, natural  eye shadow and blend it well.  Select a lipstick shade that is similar to the color of the inside of your mouth.  Don’t use gloss,  bronzer or any make-up that has a shimmer effect.
  • Glasses: Your glasses can create a distracting reflection from your computer screen.  If possible, skip wearing the glasses.

Now that you are looking posh and professional for your next virtual meeting take a look at your virtual office and make sure it looks as good as you do.  Go to: http://www.hanchey.com/virtual-office-look-like-pro/

 

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Virtual Office – “Look Like A Pro”

Professional Virtual Office

 

VIRTUAL OFFICE – “LOOK LIKE A PRO”

We’ve all gone virtual.  Which means now is the opportune time to give a hard look at how you present yourself on-line.  To build trust and rapport more quickly, it pays to strategize about how to look professional during your online meetings.  Start by giving thought to your virtual office.

  • A Professional Remote Office: Like spinach in your teeth or your zipper undone, a bad video-call is something only your best friend will call to your attention.  Even if you have the best virtual presentation ever — there is a good chance that your lighting, your backdrop, your connection or even your unconscious habits are making you look less professional than you would like.
  • Choose your setting: Create a professional setting with a quiet calm office.  Carpet with soft furnishings tend to create the best audio during virtual meetings. If your room doesn’t have carpeting, an area rug on the floor and some floor pillows can reduce reverberation and create a warmer sound.
  • Background: We don’t want to see your dirty laundry piled on top of your unmade bed.  In fact, we don’t want to see your bed at all.  It is distracting.  Any distraction can take away from your message, be it a wall of posters, kitchen cabinets or nick-knacks.  A tidy bookcase in the background offers a professional touch.  However, the safest approach is to simply have a neutral wall color in the background. Shades of grey or cream work well vs. white. *Many of today’s virtual meeting rooms (i.e. Zoom) give you the option of adding a background, but be careful that it is neutral and professional.  Practice with the background before you use it.
  • Know Your Platform: Understand how your online video conferencing service works, i.e. Zoom or GoToWebinar, etc.  Tech challenged? Then study-up  so you appear professional  when you switch from  your image to your screen image.  Understand how chat, surveys, comments as well as other  functions work so that you appear smooth and professional.
  • Use laptop, not phone or I-pad: While in your virtual office use your laptop or desktop computer.  Smartphones tend to be very convenient, but they can be hard to balance. Plus, there is limited ability to see all meeting members on the screen space. Even your I-pad has limitations on being able to see all meeting members on screen.
  • Raise you webcam to eye-level: Put your phone/I-pad/computer on your desk and we get a clear look up your nostrils.  Do put your computer on a sturdy stack of books or a box. Adjust it so your eyes are eye-level to your camera.  For a clear picture use a USB camera (under $100) and position it at eye level.
  • Adjust your framing: Position yourself about arm’s length from your screen.  Too close, you look like a cartoon character.  Too far, you look little and lost.  Make sure you have a bit of space between the top of your hair and the top of the screen.
  • Audio: Good sound is critical.  Distance yourself from any background noise.  But if you can’t escape the brouhaha plug in your headphones with a built in microphone.  It will help your voice cut through the noise more clearly.  Best to have a quite spot and use a USB microphone ($100-$150).
  • Good Lighting: Lighting is one of the most critical aspects of creating a professional remote office.  Ensure your desk has a strong but soft light that can illuminate your face during your virtual meetings. (Tip: purchase an inexpensive  10” LED ring light with tripod for under $25). Bright and balanced is best.  Not sure about your lighting … ask a friend to critique before you go live.  Typical lighting mistakes include:
    • An overhead light gives you a halo and produces raccoon eyes that also make you look tired.
    • Lights located anywhere behind within view of the camera is like shining a flashlight in someone’s eyes
    • Experiment with your lighting so that you don’t look like a lurking shadow with no eyes or half your face is covered in shadows.

Michelle ‘hard-hat’ Hanchey founded Hanchey.com out of a passion to help you improve the quality of your public speaking, executive presentations and leadership skills, Michelle “hard hat” Hanchey is the first to ask, “What’s in your toolbox? And how can I help?” 

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Harness the Power of Positivity

We give way to much power to negative thoughts which limit our abilities and relationships.

Minds cluttered with doubts, fears and negative thoughts have an impact on our health.  Negative attitudes and feelings of helplessness and hopelessness can create chronic stress, which upsets the body’s hormone balance, depletes the brain chemicals required for happiness, and damages the immune system.

Stress from negative thinking creates changes in the brain that may affect our mental health and lead to disorders such as anxiety, depression, ADHD, schizophrenia and mood disorders.

Negative thought impacts your work, your family and your friendships.

Here are 5 steps you can take today to become a more positive person:

  1.  Start your day listing 5 things you are grateful for.  Better yet, keep a daily postivity journal. If inclined, double up on the positive by adding another 5 things you are grateful for before going to bed.
  2. Replacement therapy works.  Every time a negative thought pops into your mind replace it with a positive thought or two or three.
  3. Seek and you will find a positive side to every situation, even if you are surrounded with negativity.
  4. Change your words. Instead of, “I’m nervous” try “I’m excited”.  Or “I’m going to fail” to “I’ve got this”.  Along with your words change your posture for 2 minutes to a power pose.  Think superman with your legs wide apart and hands on your hips.
  5. Promoting positivity creates a culture centered around supporting, inspiring and recognizing one another.  Try it at work.  One kind act leads to another in which an exciting chain-reaction of positivity is set off.  After all, it’s much easier to succeed in a work environment that actively promotes positivity compared to one where stress and anxiety rules the day.

In fact, one study by the University of Warwick found that positivity among employees causes a 12% jump in productivity, while employees who are less-than-pleased with their working situations are 10 percent less productive.

Workplaces that embrace positivity are more productive, profitable and have higher satisfaction levels.  Here are some examples to create an empowering, supportive and happy environment conducive for success.

• Caring for your colleagues as friends.
• Forgiving mistakes instead of assigning blame.
• Supporting colleagues and showing compassion in times of stress and difficulty.
• Sharing random acts of kindness.
• Inspiring one another.
• Treating each other with respect and trust.

Relationships are strengthened, energy is heightened and buffers are built that help people bounce back from difficulties better. Instead of feeling overwhelmed and stressed, everyone feels empowered to overcome challenges.

Harness the power of positivity

 

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Your Personal Development Plan

In construction, we make sure that we have deep and wide footings anchored upon solid rock.  The larger the building the deeper and wider we go to handle the weight or load.

The same is true for leadership.  The more people and responsibility weighted on your leadership foundation the deeper and wider you must go in your personal development as a leader.

There are four (4) corners in laying any building’s foundation that must be strong enough to withstand the weight otherwise it will crack and crumble.  Just as there are four (4) corners in laying your leadership foundation.

The four corners of leadership are:

  1. Personal Development
  2. Leadership Learning
  3. Preparation
  4. Practice: (Being an intentional leader)

Today we are looking just at the first of the four corners — Your personal development.  It is the corner where your entire foundation begins.

Personal Development

Every leader has a different style, different life experiences and a unique outlook.  The better you understand yourself, your strengths and weaknesses, the better you will be to lead others as well as give them the tools they need to better understand themselves.

Look for tools  you can utilize for your own self-leadership development.  There is an abundance of reading materials and workshops that will increase or validate your emotional intelligence, your ability to communicate and listen, and increase your ability to stay poised under pressure.

Here are a few of the personal skills that will prepare you as a leader:

  1. Develop your EQ (emotional intelligence). People with high emotional intelligence (EQ) are consistently the top performers in their organizations. They’re more resilient and flexible when things get tough, and they’re held in the highest regard by their bosses, peers, co-workers and others.A good start is by working through the book “Emotional Intelligence 2.0” by Bradberry & Greaves.  Emotional intelligence is the #1 predictor of professional success and personal excellence.I like this book as a jump-start to growing your emotional intelligence.  I recommend the proven strategies to increase your self-management, self-awareness, social awareness and relationship management.
  2. A leader has strong abilities to communicate.  I recommend the international non-profit Toastmasters.  Join a club that meets weekly.  There you will find a supportive and positive learning experience that should empower you to develop your communication skills.  As you become a better speaker self-confidence and additional personal growth also takes place.
  3. Hone your ability to listen. Too many leaders are full of themselves and think they have all the solutions and then wonder why their people aren’t engaged and don’t perform well.  Become an active listener.
  4. Develop strong self-management skills and organizational abilities. Organizational skills focus on prioritizing one’s tasks, and then working accordingly, so that these are achieved.
  5. Foresight is a skill that comes with practice in working through all potential outcomes. This skill will help you and your team make plans 3 months, 6 months, or a year or more in advance. The key is knowing how to design a winning strategy, and how to execute it effectively using foresight.   Exercising your foresight muscles and thinking through what could happen in several circumstances will enable you to respond more quickly and easily, even if you encounter an emerging future that you didn’t foresee. Your resilience and agility are improved because you have thought about several futures and have a number of plans you could build on.
  6. Tenacity is a skill that enables the leader to push through when things go wrong.  Start by finding like-minded, passionate people who can help provide guidance and encouragement.
  7. Pressure and stress can you handle it and stay poised, calm and effective no matter what.  Here are some strategies for staying cool in a heated situation:
    • Stay focused in the here and now
    • Change your mind-set — visualize the outcome your want and switch your language.  For example, instead of saying, “I’m so nervous”, you can tell yourself, “I’ve got this”.
    • Switch off the fight or flight by taking a break, breathing and then let go.

Working on you is a high priority and a lifetime pursuit.