Michelle Ray

Business and Leadership Keynote Speaker

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leadership

“Money doesn’t talk…It swears”

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“Money doesn’t talk…It swears” – Bob Dylan

In my upcoming book, “Lead Yourself First”, I dedicate several chapters to the subject of values. Values drive our behaviour and decisions, as well as our professional and personal relationships. Making values – based decisions in business and life aren’t always easy, even when we feel that we know ourselves well. One of the most difficult areas pertains to money and finances, especially if we find ourselves at the crossroads regarding career change or making an investment in a new business venture. Although there are some simple truths such as having your finances in order prior to taking such bold steps, conversations around money are often emotionally- charged due to the fact that our values also come into play.  Therefore, the subject isn’t merely about numbers, being practical or even logical.  Going through the process of ascertaining what lies behind the rationale to leave a job or stay, to invest or not to invest; to save or spend is an important exercise because we discover more about what is actually influencing such choices. In addition, the manner in which we justify our course of action is also a reflection of our principles.

The financial values dilemma is not only felt at an individual level. It happens in corporations on a daily basis. If you listen closely, you will hear people frequently professing values-laden statements regarding their workplace or direction of their organization. It isn’t unusual for leaders to experience conflict in this arena, especially during these times of uncertainty. While working with one client recently, one member of the senior leadership team was frustrated due to the push-back he was experiencing from his colleagues. He wished to maintain the status quo in terms of staff retention…in contrast to a number of his peers who he felt were reacting by taking an ultra cautious approach; entertaining cutbacks and terminations. Critical business decisions such as these may appear to be based on fiscal evidence. However, the values of a core leadership team are often driving the process.

Is it possible to be completely objective regarding where one may stand on financial values, or indeed our entire values system?  The challenge lies in the fact that we have all been influenced in varying degrees by the standards of others, be they family members, peers, associates, coaches or well-intended friends. Therefore, the sample inventory exercise below will reveal the extent to which you have allowed yourself  to be governed by accepted morals or ethics that perhaps hinder your professional and personal direction. There are no “right” or “wrong” answers. Rather, your responses reflect your current position and beliefs and illuminate information regarding your financial values that my surprise you. 

Values inventory clarification – Money

  1. What does financial freedom represent to you?
  2.  Do you subscribe to a scarcity or abundance mentality?
  3.  Were you taught to manage your money at an early age?
  4. When you think of the term “financially responsible”, how would you define it?
  5. What were some of the prevailing attitudes around money in your family?
  6. How has the recent economic volatility impacted your career? If you have not been affected directly, have you witnessed the effect on colleagues, business associates, and clients?

Leading yourself first in your organization, your career and your life requires clarity around questions such as these. Can you lead your team with confidence regarding business decisions that impact them directly? Do you trust yourself to take the necessary commercial risk to grow your business into a viable entity? Are you ready to take the leap of faith associated with a career change? When we truly understand that our values underpin everything about us that makes us tick, we are able to approach the crossroads with greater conviction.

Michelle’s book, “Lead Yourself First”  is due for worldwide release this year.

Lessons in Leadership, Business and Team Spirit: The Vancouver Canucks 2011 Stanley Cup Run

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I immigrated to Canada from Australia during the Stanley Cup playoffs in 1994. Although I had already experienced some exposure to Canada’s passion for the game of hockey, nothing compared to the reaction of Vancouverites cheering on their beloved Canucks’ magical run during the post-season.  In Vancouver, many of us remember the heartbreak of that Game 7 loss to the New York Rangers.  Seventeen years later, it is on again…only this time, the expectations of the team going all the way existed right from the start of the season.

What is it about this team that sends an entire city into a complete frenzy? How has it come to pass that over 100,000 people have watched the game on big outdoor screens downtown? Over half the population of the province has been watching the playoffs!  Millions of us are dreaming about the moment when Henrik Sedin will finally hoist that cup over his head. Imagine what will happen here if the Stanley Cup comes to Vancouver for the first time.

How has this excitement been generated? Looking at the Canucks season and playoff run from a leadership and team spirit perspective, there is a lot one can say about how they have been managed, motivated and inspired to succeed. Here are some perspectives on the Canuck’s success principles that have direct applicability to business and the workplace:

1.       Great leadership

General Manager Mike Gillis took some risky, unpopular decisions when he joined the organization in 2008. One can argue that no matter what the outcome of this series may be, the parallels for business leaders are as follows:

*      Building a team with depth while recognizing the unique strength of individuals; combining to create a phenomenal powerhouse of an organization from the inside out

*      The hiring and firing of key players and personnel

*      Significant, strategic acquisitions of talent over the long-haul

*      Untiring support for his coach and management teem

*      Above all, confidence in his own judgement. He trusts his gut-feelings.

 Lessons: Surround yourself with great people who possess talents and strengths that are different to yours. Believe in yourself and your decisions as a leader and this will resonate throughout your entire organization.

 2.       Resources and support

 No stone has been left unturned by management in terms of providing the support to the front line to excel, i.e. the players have access to an array of personnel as well as resources to ensure that they can perform at their best. 

Lessons:  Give your team the tools they require to succeed and understand their individual personalities and needs. While it remains true that the whole is always greater than the sum of its parts, recognize that the motivators for each individual differ.

 3.       Creating a sense of community

 “Canucks Nation” is at fever-pitch, even during the off-season. The Canucks are a community on and off the ice.  The players’ and the organizations’ dedication to causes such as the Canucks Place Children’s Hospice are an outstanding example of making a difference outside of their workplace. 

Lessons: People thrive when they feel they are part of something bigger than themselves. By channelling altruistic energy into a meaningful cause, team spirit comes alive and productivity thrives.

 4.       Rising above obstacles outside of one’s control

Politics is part of business. Much has been written about the refereeing, “conspiracy” theories and the politics of the NHL.  At critical times facing intense pressure, the team has remained focussed on the “big picture” and management have not bought into these distractions.

 Lessons: Choose not to buy into morale-busters such as negativity and gossip. Cultivate a positive mindset and recognize that unfortunately there are naysayers who will try and sabotage your success. In Australia this is known as the “tall-poppy syndrome” (when others will try to cut you down to boost their own low self-esteem).

 5.       Commitment to the goal

The ultimate reason for success this season is the fact that the team and the organization have kept their eye on the prize. Everyone is acutely aware of the stakes and shared the responsibility for successes and mistakes. Their allegiance to one another and their unwavering belief is a key ingredient for winning; they have done so one game at a time for a total of 106 games to date.

Lessons:  Goals are easier to achieve when they are broken into manageable pieces. When the entire team shares the same conviction and remain clear about the ultimate objective, everyone wins.  

Summary:

 As a leader, if you and your organization can replicate these principles with patience, perseverance and persistence, your teams and clients alike will be cheering in the stands, excited about your energy and proud to be associated with your achievements.

Letting go and staying relevant in 2011

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I am not into New Year’s resolutions. Most of us know that we can have the best intentions; often setting ourselves up with unrealistic expectations. Instead, I prefer to look at letting go, have no regrets and establish realistic goals that I can break down into manageable, bite-size pieces. However, as we approach the end of the first decade in the new millennium, I have realized that that my methodology to establish short-term and long-term goals will be influenced by an ever-changing business and technology landscape…more than any other time.

“Relax…It’s only uncertainty”…Dr. Graeme Codrington, Montreal, December 6, 2010

The motivation for this particular blog comes from a recent experience I had in Montreal. I am a believer in professional development. As a speaker and educator, I work with organizations who invest in developing their people. Therefore, it is a value that I practice myself.  I attended my own association of professional speaker’s annual convention a few weeks ago. This year it was known as “The Unconventional Convention…A Quantum Journey.” Everything about the sessions and the speakers demonstrated the power and wisdom of doing things in an “out of the ordinary” way.

Why? Because the times we’re in demand creativity and innovation in order to survive. There is no “normal” anymore.  Without acceptance of this fact,  entrepreneurs, business owners, leaders and individuals will become irrelevant; just as many other businesses have disappeared because they could not or world not adapt. By “irrelevant”, I am referring to your business, your brand and the manner in which you interact with customers.  Think about the application of this truth; regardless of where you work or the nature of your enterprises.

From my perspective, re-thinking the way business is done is the new imperative.  For example, if I wish to grow professionally and personally, I need to let go of what worked five or ten years ago and do things differently.  New technologies have made it possible to work virtually; from anywhere in the world. The evolution continues regarding the manner in which we communicate. If my clients or prospective clients wish to connect with me through social media, then I need to adapt accordingly. If they tell me that they no longer want hard-copy handouts or will be using electronic evaluations from now on, then I need to respect their green initiatives. As a disseminator of information, I realize that audiences now interact during presentations by using smart phones to spread the word, take notes or share ideas with each other instantly. How do your customers wish to interact with you? Can you accept it?

The new realities of how we connect and interact obligate us to remain relevant. It is no longer easy to stay comfortable and continue to do we have always done.  The marketplace and speed of change won’t tolerate complacency. Doing “business as usual” may have worked prior to the great recession. The problem was that this mindset that got so many businesses into trouble. One could reflect on recent times and conclude that the economic meltdown was necessary to shake us up in order to re-think the way we do just about everything; a giant wake-up call from which we are still emerging. 

Ask yourself:

  • What will you priorities be in 2011? Are they in balance?
  • Are your values congruent with how you live each day?
  • How will you differentiate yourself?
  • What are you willing to let go of?
  • What positive changes will you make to your attitudes regarding customers and technology?
  • How will you practice creativity and innovation; personally and professionally?
  • What will you dare yourself to do differently in 2011?

Wishing you all a happy, peaceful and prosperous new year.

Michelle

Being the leader of your life

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Earlier this week I had the pleasure of speaking at the Ignite Excellence Conference in Toronto.  Suzanne F. Stevens, the founder of the Ignite Excellence Foundation, inspired 150 people to attend the event and support her vision of raising funds for African Leaders of Tomorrow. With an incredible line-up of speakers, entertainers and suppliers who gave their time and attended at their own expense, the Ignite Excellence Foundation raised over $30,000 (the final figure may go higher).  All proceeds of the event will be donated to build the Leah Ngini Community Centre at the African National University in Nairobi, Kenya and provide scholarships to prospective women leaders. Suzanne’s dedication and focus on helping educate women in particular to advance their education and realize their own vision is a cause so dear to Suzanne that she has recently sold her house and is moving to Africa early in 2011 to immerse herself in her passion in order to make a difference on a global level. One of the most influential comments to have an impact on her life was this quote from Dr. Douglas Carew, Vice-Chancellor of African National University:

 “The biggest problem in Africa today is not AIDS, poverty, disease, education or urbanization; the biggest problem is LEADERSHIP. When moral leaders of integrity and justice arise, then Africa’s problems will be solved”.

 The event was a phenomenal success, not only because of the dollars raised, but also because the attendees were there to learn about investing in their careers to ultimately lead themselves. Therefore, a dual objective was realized as participants were educating themselves to become the leader of their own lives, as well as helping others in the process. The overall experience of participating in this event and witnessing Suzanne’s vision in action made me reflect on the difference between being transactional versus transformational  in our day-to-day living. Essentially, it is about living a purposeful life rather than just going through the motions of our waking hours. Having a vision and putting energy into making it a reality results in a greater sense of fulfillment and satisfaction.

Vision –   My top ten favourite quotations:

The world of tomorrow belong to the person who has the vision today – Robert Schuller

See things as you would have them be instead of as they are – Robert Collier

The willingness to create a new vision is a statement of your belief in your potential – David McNally

Vision is the art of seeing the invisible – Jonathan Swift

The future belongs to those who see possibilities before they become obvious – John Scully

You cannot depend on your eyes when your imagination is out of focus – Mark Twain

Where you come from is not nearly as important as where you are going – Unknown

The saddest thing in the world is a person who has their sight but has no vision – Helen Keller

Vision without execution is hallucination – Thomas Edison

The greatest danger for most of us is not that our aim is too high and we miss it, but that it is too low and we reach it – Michelangelo

The Power of Leading YOURSELF

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“Who” a leader and “what” is leadership?

There are many business books on the theory of leadership and the various models that evolved over the past fifty years regarding leadership in the traditional sense; i.e. being a leader meaning “the title”, generally associated with being in charge of others. A title on a business card or a placard on a desk or door does not automatically make someone a leader. It may give the impression of self-importance and achievement, however, the title alone is not enough. Neither is a job description that notes functions associated with managing people. Rather, it seems to me that there is a pre-requisite for being an effective leader of a team or within any organization. That is the ability to lead oneself first. Honing this specific talent is far more significant in the grand scheme of things, because human beings will progress further in their respective life paths by mastering the capacity to relate to and communicate with the vast array of personality types, cultures, genders and demographics that make up the human race. A business title conveying “leader” is no proof of having acquired this gift. Furthermore, one doesn’t have to be in a workplace to be a leader. A leader is someone who has grasped the ability to take charge of their thoughts, and consequently their actions, in any situation. A leader is someone who recognizes that character is the greatest test of true leadership. A leader is someone who is clear about their values and applies them on a regular basis. In other words, having values and living by one’s values are two distinctive propositions. This has very little to do with moving up the management ladder into a leadership role.