John Hersey, a renowned leadership speaker and coach, and his wife Beverly, conducted a two-day leadership workshop at a meeting planning company not too long ago.

The first day went by smoothly and successfully; everyone learned a lot, the vibes were good, and there was the feeling that the leadership team was truly getting to know each other in a meaningful way.

During the second day, the leader meeting planners had to role-play a specific situation. The first three hours were a kind of meeting planners’ hell; it was quite uncomfortable.

John and Beverly observed the uneasiness and perceived the room was packed with fear. In their own words, “it was as though the leaders were having roots canals without Novocain.” Nevertheless, they didn’t step in; they didn’t stop the program to change paths to a more comfortable space, but instead, let this painful scenario progress.

Until, in the early hours of the afternoon, something wonderful happened. The meeting planners got through their limitations and were able to see the essence of the crucial leadership aspect they were dealing with.

It was remarkable to witness how after fighting to hang on to what they believed was the right way to lead, they all let go at once and made a major breakthrough. Everyone could feel the sense of accomplishment that filled the room.

And this is how it happens…

Contagious leaders know that they can truly cripple any leadership development effort if they jump in with a solution, if they take control of a situation that is getting out of hand, if they offer a helping hand prematurely, or if they bring chaos into order, because major growth, confidence building, and leadership development normally happens after a crisis.

In fact, it is through experiencing crisis that we grow, so, as leaders, why is it that we commonly weaken the learning experiences for our teams?

Simple, this happens when:

- Leaders are uncomfortable with discomfort. We agree that it is not easy to watch your people struggle and stumble, especially when you feel you can get involved and solve the situation.

- Leaders try to avoid stress. Stress tires you; it makes you short-tempered and impatient. It is easier to solve the problem than to deal with the team’s reaction.

- Leaders have short-term success mentality. When a true leader develops the team’s leadership bench strength he knows that short-term struggles bring long-term success.

- Leaders are coming from scarcity. If our business is struggling with success, it may be difficult to let our team stumble. We operate from a scarcity mentality.

So, the next time you perceive your meeting planning business is headed towards chaos or that your leadership team is stumbling with a problem that seems too much, do not jump in to fix it, instead, let them stumble, because later they will be able to enjoy the breakthrough that will take them farther up.

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In our culture it is acceptable to “not have the time because I’m swamped” or to “just be too busy” to make sales calls, to face challenges directly, to be on time for appointments, to change when it is necessary, or to simply get the job done.

To make up excuses means giving up and abandoning responsibility. A company full of employees that at every level only make up excuses generates apathy, and passiveness and detachment kill leadership.

True leaders don’t tolerate excuses because these excuse no one. There is no such thing as a valid excuse for being late, for not contacting a client, or for not changing to improve a company.

However, excuses have become acceptable, are seldom questioned, and have turned into a cycle where effective feedback and leadership coaching are not welcomed.

Contagious leaders and their staff never focus on excuses; instead, they have an unobstructed vision, meaning they focus on a clear picture of the desired outcome. In their case, it is very rare that a distraction or excuse will become more important than the desired result.

But, how do they do it? Well… contagious leaders generate engaged and productive employees who in turn create involved customers.

Here we give you the 3 strategies that contagious leaders use to permanently ban the excuses cycle from their organizations or departments:

1. They commit to their company or department’s leadership goals and vision. They get passionate about them, believe in them, and visualize the result. This brings more excitement than thinking up excuses.

If an excuse clouds their vision, they acknowledge it and find the way to get rid of it.

2. They practice vibrant communication every day. Contagious leaders believe that the attitude of employees and customers is a result of communication, because when one feels involved and understands the direction the company is taking, in other words, when one writes, speaks, and lives in that direction, one makes better and more productive leadership choices.

3. They practice meaningful permission mentoring. They offer their staff thoughtful and straightforward feedback, they speak out their people’s greatness, and extend a helping hand to get people out of the excuses cycle.

Show your concern if you perceive the cycle of excuses in your organization because it is a sign of defeat, and instead… make your team remember the Nike leadership slogan: JUST DO IT! Every good leadership speaker and coach does…

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Writing personal thank you notes expresses how you feel about aspiring leaders and their value to your company.  The hidden message behind a written note of praise is that “I truly appreciate you.” 

Handwritten notes can greatly help you create a leadership culture within your organization and their benefits are huge.  These notes are remembered, and they produce a feeling of distinction and individuality on the one who receives it.

John Hersey, renowned leadership speaker and coach, has heard from people who, after several years, still remember that special thank you note they received from their supervisor or CEO.  Such a small, but personal touch can truly leave a lasting impression and positively impact someone’s life. 

Some leaders state that it is easier to email, and maybe it is, however emails are impersonal, cold and hollow.  Emails are the electronic version of a Post-It note.  It is like buying plastic flowers for an anniversary; it is a gesture, but a very superficial one. 

Still, other leaders say it is easier to delegate the task to their secretary or assistant, and again, perhaps it is, but in this case you are better off not sending anything.

Hersey recommends a leadership program called ‘Recognize Five’.  In this program, every week or month you identify five team members within your organization or department who deserve praise for something they did or said.  Handwrite a short note to each one of them detailing what they did, how it impacted the company, and say something in appreciation, then, send it to their home address.

The result of a handwritten note is increased morale, production and loyalty, which in turn bring about higher leadership retention.  The costs of a first-class stamp and five minutes of your time are a low price to pay for such a positive outcome.

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Each week, we will be highlighting (or “spotlighting”) someone we think demonstrates the actions, thoughts and mindset of a Contagious Leader.  This week’s spotlight is on Jeff Eschliman.

Jeff Eschliman, Director of Construction for Maracay Homes in Scottsdale, Arizona, has been a student of Contagious Leadership since 2005. He recently reached out and asked me to connect with him on LinkedIn. I agreed, mentioning in a return message that I was looking forward to getting to know him better. He took this as a green light and sent me the following email through LinkedIn; “I’d love to buy you lunch some day and get more insights into Contagious Leadership. I just received the book (Creating Contagious Leadership) and I’m looking forward to diving in.” 

That’s initiative!

During our lunch Jeff mentioned he has been practicing Recognize 5, our program for the Habit of Involved Recognition. We immediately invited him to do a video interview that will be shared with other Contagious Leader Coaching Club members.  

Jeff Eschliman is a true Contagious Leader for a number of other reasons: 

1. In an industry that has been hard hit by the economic challenges of recent years, Jeff works at staying positive
2. He continues to build his inventory of talents for the future by practicing the leadership habits he learns.
3. He faithfully practices Recognize 5 week in and week out without expecting accolades from the employees he works with or his superiors.
4. He has recent;y committed to deep and lasting changes in his personal life in the areas of fitness and exercise.  

 Yes, Jeff Eschliman is a true Contagious Leader, our Contagious Leader of the week. He is also our new friend.

If you would like to nominate someone, feel free to send us an email by clicking here, and we would love to consider them!  Please tell us a bit about them and what makes them Contagious in their leadership.

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Close up of Deanna Brown's winning pose at Copper Classic, Las Vegas

I met Deanna about a year ago. She was teaching a weight lifting class at my health club. She was precise, inspiring and committed to help us get results. Class was over and Deanna was explaining to another instructor her diet for an upcoming competition. My interest was heightened and I started hammering her with questions about her workout routine, food choices and how she packed it all in…wife, 40 something mother of three with the youngest 13 years old, working at 3 health clubs and a personal trainer, meeting with her trainer once or twice a day and cooking, cleaning…yipes!

There was a time she didn’t work out. She gained weight with each pregnancy and slacked off on her good eating habits. She weighed in at 200 pounds! Take a look at her picture again. She has come a long way!

An interesting story, perhaps even inspiring, but what actually makes Deanna a Contagious Leader? She made a decision to get back in shape, got in action, set a goal to compete in the 2010 Copper Classic in Las Vegas, and let nothing interfere. She has unobstructed vision, nothing is an obstacle for her. 1st competition and Deanna came in 2nd place. She’s amazing!

If you would like to nominate someone, feel free to send us an email by clicking here, and we would love to consider them!  Please tell us a bit about them and what makes them Contagious in their leadership. 

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Curt Dunham and Peggy Fiandaca with Eppy (their sweet black and white baby) are our Contagious Leaders this week. They are masters at looking to each other’s strengths so they can be engaged in life in a big and exciting way. Behaviorally speaking, they couldn’t be more different. Kurt is steady, dependable and persistent with a fabulous attention to detail while Peggy is more of a Driver (aggressive competitive and results oriented) who is optimistic and loves to engage with others. They each ‘do their thing’ together and life is great.

Peggy and Curt continue to grow  Partners for Strategic Action, Inc., their 17 year old planning firm by creatively pursuing challenging and innovative projects in the area of community sustainability and smart growth planning. They aggressively explore and establish collaborative relationships with  visionary leaders addressing complex community development issues. Recently they also started Lawrence Dunham Vineyards in Cochise County, AZ focused on hand-crafted, estate-grown Rhone varietals.

Check out: www.lawrencedunhamvineyards.com   Their philosophy of winemaking is to choose the right location, select the perfect vines, and meticulously manage the vineyard, letting nature do its magic with as little intervention as possible.

If you would like to nominate someone, feel free to send us an email by clicking here, and we would love to consider them!  Please tell us a bit about them and what makes them Contagious in their leadership.

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