Understand your leadership purpose...

in·spire

/inˈspī(ə)r/

verb

1.

fill (someone) with the urge or ability to do or feel something, especially to do something creative.

"his passion for romantic literature inspired him to begin writing"

 

People often talk about their leadership style, but I think it’s more important to talk about one’s leadership purpose. My purpose in leading people was to inspire them – whether about a placement or program, my job was to give them the information to engage and excite them. We shouldn’t assume that others will feel the same way we do about things – our own engagement and excitement should be an example that they’ll want to follow. I used this technique in the 80s to get college graduates interested in the gaming industry – their parents, professors, and even they themselves were hesitant to consider this career choice back then and by inspiring them to take that chance we opened a whole new world of opportunities for hospitality school graduates. Same with opening the Mirage – we used inspirational advertising and recruiting techniques to get applicants excited about joining the Mirage (and our subsequent new properties) – it’s never easy enticing someone to leave a secure job for a big new property, but our hiring managers inspired these job seekers to take a chance on us. As leaders, we must inspire applicants and employees, or our company team will expire. Show your excitement if you want to excite your peeps today.

 

Orrin Woodward (born 1970): American manufacturing and product engineer, author, entrepreneur, consultant, public speaker, and international leadership influencer.

Don't lose sight of what's really important...

Only in Las Vegas could the Atomic Museum exist and flourish (https://www.atomicmuseum.vegas). Educators and Department of Energy professionals developed and operate this unique history museum; a Smithsonian affiliate, it tells the story of America's Nuclear Weapons Testing Program. The Nevada Test Site, located just north of Las Vegas, is where the bulk of America’s nuclear testing occurred between 1948 and 1996, ending with the signing of a global test ban Treaty; its history and experience spawned this museum. I attended a gala last evening where this was all on display, replete with stories of the people involved at the test site and this museum. Whatever we think of the nuclear industry, we must never lose sight that it’s about the people involved. And that’s not unlike Las Vegas’ gaming industry – the buildings that house these casinos are only as good as the people who work in them. At the heart of every business are the people responsible for its operations, marketing, and customer and public relations. And every organization is, above all, social; it is people. It behooves us all to remember that, realizing that managing an organization is ultimately about managing its people. As a professional, never forget to treat your people with the respect they deserve, to support them in all of the ways needed for their development and success, and to be aware of and respond to their hopes and interests. Or, in other words, to treat your people the way you want to be treated today.

 

Peter Drucker (1909 – 2005): Austrian American management consultant, educator, and author, whose writings contributed to foundations of modern management theory, the development of management education, and the concepts known as management by objectives.

Live, prepare, reflect, and learn...

For me, there are two tough parts to any day. You might think those would be associated with something difficult at work, but you’d be wrong – like many professionals, I knew my business and was prepared to be good at it. 

·      The first tough part is in the morning when I’m brushing my teeth – standing in front of the mirror looking back at the person looking at me. Thinking: am I ready and prepared to face whatever comes my way? That’s where knowledge, skills, abilities, and attitude come into play – and trusting that those attributes are sharply tuned and focused on the road ahead. One can never be too prepared, so a continuing commitment to learning, listening, adjusting, and adapting is necessary to being ready to meet the day’s challenges. 

·      And the second comes late at night while staring at the ceiling and rehashing all that happened in the previous however many hours since looking in that mirror. Going back over the things that were said or not said, done or not done. Were they right; was I right? Hindsight, like any debriefing is worthwhile, not to second guess but rather to reflect and learn. One can never be too aware of things past, present, and future. Do a quick nightly scan: affirm, learn, and prepare for the next go round. 

Realizing and accepting that this is the world you’ve made for yourself; now live in it wisely and well. Take stock at the beginning and ending of every day to make sure you’re the best you can be. Live in your world that way today.

 

Nina Simone (1933 – 2003): American singer, songwriter, pianist, composer, arranger, and civil rights activist.

don't let your emotions run wild...

e·mo·tion

/əˈmōSH(ə)n/

noun

plural noun: emotions

1.     a natural instinctive state of mind deriving from one's circumstances, mood, or relationships with others. 

a.     "she was attempting to control her emotions"

2.     instinctive or intuitive feeling as distinguished from reasoning or knowledge.

              a.   "responses have to be based on historical insight, not simply on emotion" 

I feel like starting today’s message by saying “I resemble this quote”. Full disclosure: I’m an emotional leader, using that to engage and inspire people. While I like that style, I understand that it might not be as effective as I need it to be, and I realize that sublimating my emotions to the work at hand might be more comfortable for those I’m leading. Like any leader’s style – it must be explained so people understand where it’s coming from, and the leader should always be aware of how their words, actions, and style(s) affect those they lead. And it should go without saying that one leadership style does not fit all situations, thus the need to vary them according to the situation and circumstances at hand. In that case, an emotional approach should always be used only after careful analysis and clear communications. That said, a leader’s commitments and objectives should be clearly explained to the people/group they’re leading; once that is accomplished and everyone is on the same page, being engaged, passionate, or otherwise emotional will probably be more acceptable, effective, and successful. Bottom line: make sure you don’t allow your emotions to diminish your effectiveness today.

 

Bruce Koslow (born ????): Every now and then I find a quote by someone who I can’t identify. This may be the 2^nd or 3^rd time in 15 years – sorry about that, but I still like the quote.

Listen to your Mother...

Hiring managers should ask applicants about their values and where they got them. Most will say they got them from their parents – that’s not uncommon, since much of what we learn growing up comes from them. Years ago I found a book called “Momilies – As My Mother Used to Say” (https://www.amazon.com/Momilies®-As-Mother-Used-Say/dp/0345492102) - many of these are applicable at work. Things like “stand up straight”, “comb your hair”, and “tuck in your shirt” – how about those for your attendance policies? Things like “I’m only doing this for your own good” – how managers should feel about their employees. So, I like today’s quote – Ginsburg’s mother giving her advice about how to be an effective professional: think for herself and use common sense. Truth be told, much of what most employees believe comes from their mothers as they help shape their children’s values and thinking. Ask candidates about their values, what they believe, and where those came from – if they tell you they learned them at home, that’s a great topic for future discussion. Because mothers know best. Don’t be embarrassed to inject some Momilies into your culture and management policies – they will resonate with your employees today.

 

Joan Ruth Bader Ginsburg (1933 – 2020): American lawyer and jurist who served as an associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States from 1993 until her death in 2020.

Hire for attitude and train for skills...

Recruitment is all about finding the right person for the job. Many hiring managers think that means looking only at the candidate’s experience – that’s certainly easy to see. But unless they have the right attitude, that experience may not be enough.  I realize that screening for the attitudes you want can be difficult, but it’s easier than you might imagine. Just ask your candidates what they might bring to the job – if you see excitement in their eyes, hear commitment it in their voice, and feel intensity it in their body language, you’ll know they have a passion for what they do. They’ll have optimism, grit, flexibility, resilience, and common sense – the stuff you want in your employees.  If you then train them how to do the job you expect, you’ll have a professional that will have the skills and attitude to exceed your expectations. Hiring for attitude and training for skills is a great formula for getting the right people and setting them up for success.  It may not be the easiest way to put a great team together, but the time you spend coaching them is better spent than trying to erase old habits. And it starts with a good attitude. Learn how to spot the attitudes you want to hire today.

 

Thomas Alva Edison (1847 – 1931): American inventor and businessman.

Revel in your parental pride...

There is no pride like a parent’s pride. My mother wanted me to be a lawyer and I suspect she was disappointed when I became a business executive instead. At least that’s how she appeared until I became a VP of HR at a big fancy gaming company – after that, she never failed to tell employees she’d meet there “I’m Arte Nathan’s mother”. Food servers, valet parking attendants, slot attendants, whoever. At first, I didn’t think that was appropriate, but then I understood that you don’t have to be famous, you just have to make your mother and father proud of you. And then I was thrilled that she felt that way. During my career there, this was validated many times over: I often met the parents of our Employee of the Year winners, and the pride on their faces was obvious and glowing. And when I’d see an employee showing their parents where they worked, I’d greet them by name; they were so proud that a company executive knew their child by name. I catch myself feeling the same way when seeing my daughter’s and granddaughters’ successes – there’s no better pride than that. Next time you see someone with their parents, tell them how much you appreciate and respect their child. That’s one of the best ways to make a parent’s day today.

 

Mary Louise "Meryl" Streep (born 1949): American actress who has received 21 Academy Award nominations, winning three, and 34 Golden Globe Award nominations, winning eight.