According to Lawrence A. Bossidy, former CEO of AlliedSignal, the best way to check on candidates’ performances is to ask their customers first and their supervisors only later.

Jeff Bezos, founder and CEO of Amazon.com, says that his employees have already been so conditioned to identify with customers that his company relies on employee judgments. “During our hiring meetings,” he once wrote in the company’s annual report, “we ask people to consider three questions before making a decision:

1.  Do you admire this person? For myself, I’ve always tried hard to work only with people I admire, and I encourage folks here to be just as demanding. Life is definitely too short to do otherwise.
2.  Will this person raise the average level of effectiveness of the group their entering? We want to fight entropy. The bar has to continuously go up. I ask people to visualize the company five years from now. At that point, each of us should look around and say, “The standards are so high now – boy, I’m glad I got in when I did!”
3.  Along what dimension might this person be a superstar?  Many people have unique skills, interests, and perspectives that enrich the work environment for all of us. It’s often something that’s not even related to their jobs. One person here is a National Spelling Bee champion. I suspect it doesn’t help her in her everyday work, but it does make working here more fun if you can occasionally snag her in the hall with a quick challenge: onomatopoeia!!

For those of you in the business, you know that the holidays are the busiest days – and for us, the mother of all holidays, was Mother’s Day. I was 16 when the day that I’d like to forget occurred. The restaurant was packed and the next people to be seated were one of our best customers. At the time, this gentleman was a US Congressman, and he was with his whole family, and I must admit, I had ulterior motives. The Congressman was blessed with two beautiful daughters, whom I wanted to impress. Providing them a great experience was at the top of my mind.

In order to seat the entire family we had to pull 2 tables together. As they were sitting down, there were some extra chairs leftover from combining the tables so I decided I would help to remove them. As I pick the first chair up to lift it over and away from the table, it gets caught in the chandelier fixture above the table. Before I could react, the glass fixture comes crashing down on the table, and with it, any hopes of me ever dating one of the daughters. In addition to the initial embarrassment, I was convinced my dad was going to fire me on the spot. However, contrary to my initial thoughts, my dad went about his day as if nothing had happened.

On the way home that night in the car, I was sensing my impending dismissal. But my dad surprised me with his comments. He glanced over and said we all make mistakes and they’re never as big as we think at the time. He also suggested that I use this opportunity to learn from these moments, and if I do, they usually won’t happen again. In that moment I had one of my first true leadership lessons. Prior to my dad speaking to me, I was feeling down and not very valuable. With just a few words, not only had my dad raised my confidence, but had made me even more loyal to him. Going forward, I wanted to justify his trust in me with everything I did.

Think about the people you lead and manage. Do you help to build them up in tough situations and use those moments as teaching opportunities, or do you compound the situation by coming down on them even harder? Most people are tough enough on themselves already, help them with their confidence and esteem and it will come back to you many times over. Most people want to become better at whatever they’re doing; all they need is a little guidance. Be that mentor and coach and truly impact their performance at work, and in their lives.

There are times when there is no right thing to do and you have to choose the least bad alternative. But in most cases, it’s clear which course will be the moral, ethical, honorable choice. That’s what you should do, and you do it.

Poor leadership is, unfortunately, not in short supply in organizations. There’s ample proof of that in today’s headlines about money squandered, opportunity lost, contracts bungled, risks mismanaged, and employees losing their jobs. But there are still plenty of leaders who are striving every day to do the right thing and to inspire their own people to emulate their winning ways. My hope is that you will be one of these leaders and turn your organization into a leadership engine.

I was about 2 weeks into my internship when I was transferred to work on Bob Scott’s team. Little did I know at the time what a fortunate turn of events that was for me. I remember walking into his office the first time thinking I was going to be exiled to the law library again. Instead Bob spent over 2 hours with me, talking about what I hoped to accomplish that summer, my aspirations and what he could do to help me get clarity regarding my career goals. Not only was Bob a great mentor, he was an amazing role model and leader. And early on I wanted to be like Bob.

I would see him often sharing his valuable time to support other interns, colleagues and clients. He always seemed to be available and he was the best listener. Over time, I came to call his leadership style “authentic and approachable.” You could tell he genuinely cared about you, and you knew that his door was always open.

Over the years, I find myself often reflecting back on the impact this mentor had on my personal and business life. He helped me get clarity in how to integrate my legal education with my passion – starting and turning around business. He provided an early example of what a true leader is – it’s not about titles, it’s about developing trust and unity with your colleagues and team members, and then together, partnering to accomplish something great. And he showed me that people are “genuine-ness detectors.” You can never fake it – you really have to care about them or they’ll know.

I’ve been fortunate to come across many individuals whose experience and character have helped me grow on my leadership journey. Mentors have helped me accelerate my growth and been lifelong confidants. Early on in my leadership journey, the question of whether I was the type of person that others would want to follow was top of mind. Key people, at key times, were able to point out the roadblocks and provide a roadmap for me to follow and become the type of leader others would want to follow.

Think of a mentor that helped you on your leadership journey. Think of the insights and input that helped to make you a better person and leader. Now “pay it forward”, be that mentor for someone else. Experience is a great teacher – so too, a Mentor.

I have had the good fortune of working with over a 1,000 companies over the last 10 years. Each engagement provides me with a living laboratory to observe and learn why some companies succeed and why some fail. In good times or bad, the primary driver of a company’s success depends upon having the right people willing to take the right risks. The worse the economy, the better the people must be, especially at the top.

In tough economic times, organizations and individuals tend to become more risk-averse. There are many things to be concerned about; for organizations, it is primarily the uncertainty caused by global economic markets, and for individuals, it is their ability to remain gainfully employed. Both of these concerns feed a mindset of caution and status quo. Yet, it is exactly this mindset that may perpetuate the downward spiral. Tough times require nerves of steel and a vision to see beyond the current valley. It is the time when winners start climbing the next mountain of success.

Good leaders always calculate the odds and minimize the risk by having backups in place. Above all, they never take a risk that doesn’t offer a worthwhile reward. How do you calculate your odds of succeeding in down times? By gaining a thorough understanding of the risk you’re running and an equally thorough understanding of what you’ll do if something goes wrong.

Arguably, the biggest risk of all may be decisions by your leaders that create a climate in which your people are afraid to take any risks. That happened in the military in the early 1990s, when a budget-balancing plan started by the first President Bush and carried out by President Clinton reduced the armed forces from 2.1 million men and women to just 1.2 million on active duty.

Shrinking the services was painful. There were selection boards to figure out who had to be retired early and how not to let people re-enlist. In practice, it meant that any officer who had even one small blemish on his record was chosen for early retirement. That led to a risk-averse atmosphere. People didn’t want to rock the boat and risk ending their careers. Rather than take any initiatives, they would lie low in the weeds and let other people get black marks.

It was a terrible signal to send. We stopped trying new things, and as a result, we lost our cutting edge in preparing for future threats. We paid for that, I’m convinced, on 9/11, and then we had to play catch-up.

I see this happening again in many organizations. I know with such uncertainty out there, it’s easier to focus on cutting costs. But the truly great organizations and leaders not only find opportunities, they do so in tough times. Be that kind of leader.

Other data shows that if your immediate supervisor or someone who you work with ignores you, then your rate of disengagement is about 40%. On the other hand, if somebody you work with doesn’t ignore you but criticizes you, then your rate of disengagement falls to about 20%, because as human beings we would rather be criticized than ignored. When we are ignored, it is almost a tacit understanding between people that we don’t exist. So, being criticized is actually a healthier state of mind than being ignored. But if the person you work with notices your strength and acknowledges what you are good at, then your rate of disengagement falls to less than 1%.

In America, 15% of the workforce is actively disengaged, which means people are not only unhappy with what they do, but they make it a point of making other people unhappy as well. And this 15% of actively disengaged people actually cost the United States about $380 billion in its economy. So there is direct link between our engagement, our passion and the economy. Whether it is passive disengagement, which means just counting time, or active disengagement, it has huge implications.

On Benfold, I quickly decided that I wouldn’t worry about what I couldn’t control. But one of the things I could control was the influence I could have on the attitude and mindset of my crew. I took a genuine interest in identifying their many talents and helping them understand the meaningful difference their actions had on our overall success. The results speak for themselves. I truly believe and am honored to have been with a crew that was engaged and part of a winning culture. However, it’s a fine line between being engaged and disengaged. Do what you can to allocate as much of your time to coaching, developing and getting to know your team. It is one of the best investments you’ll make.

This unique format is different from other assessments. Our Thinking Style assessment is not a psychological, intelligence or aptitude test. It is not a self-report instrument. The assessment does not ask respondents to describe themselves. It is impossible to bias one’s answers in the Thinking Style assessment the way it is with other instruments.

The Thinking Style assessment measures how people actually think by having the respondent perform a thinking task, and then, using complex mathematics, produces a detailed picture of the person’s preferred thinking process. It provides objective information regarding such variables as one’s strategic thinking ability, attention to concrete detail, intuitive insight, persistence, consistency, systems orientation, sensitivity to others, confidence, optimism, self-regard, emotional control and drive level. In addition to its validity and reliability, the instrument has been tested according to EEOC criteria and found to be nondiscriminatory toward race, sex, or gender.

The advantages of the Thinking Style assessment include the following:
• Administration takes about 15-20 minutes,
• It is objective and cannot be biased
• It is simple in that it consists of the rank ordering of 18 items and 18 statements
• It is non-obtrusive in that respondents are not asked to describe themselves or their experience
• It is available in multiple languages including pictograph
• It is supported by research, and its users report very high face validity
• It has been very successfully used for talent screening, professional development, teambuilding and succession planning

The people around you probably know you best and see you in many types of situations. They are aware of your strengths and your challenges. Yet how often do you consult with your peers, direct reports or other people within your our own organization? And I’m talking about much more than just getting “feedback” at designated times.

Do you, as a leader, create an environment where you make it comfortable for people to present you with bad news, in addition to good news? Do you make it comfortable for them to challenge your positions or your ideas? Do you state your position on a topic in a way that “chills” everyone else from presenting a contrary position? Do you make it comfortable for them to disagree with you? If not, do you really think you are getting the whole or correct picture? Do you believe you have the respect or loyalty of your people? If you are unsure about these questions, it’s not too late.

Leadership begins with self-awareness. Start simply in your normal business day and interactions – by being a better listener and by asking better questions. Allow people to take contrary positions as long as they support their positions clearly. Whether you agree with them or not, always let your people know “why.” By creating an environment for people to respectfully challenge you and the organization’s decisions, your organization will become “breakthrough” focused and you, as a leader, will continue to grow.

I have had the opportunity to meet and work with many great leaders at different points along their leadership journeys. During these meetings, the discussion inevitably turns to the question of what is the first step in becoming a truly effective leader. In response, I usually ask leaders to reflect on a different question: Are you the type of leader that people will follow – even if they have other options? This leads to the question of whether they are willing to make a personal commitment to excellence. Being self-aware is so critical to leadership, but it is only a first step.

There are a few key components to being self-aware. Although some leaders may be self-aware, they may not have the “desire” to change because they do not see a reason to change or like the way they lead, regardless, as they say, of the unintended but unavoidable consequences of their actions. Some leaders have the desire, but lack the “discipline” to remain self-aware, and they let their preferences, tendencies, biases and/or blind spots lead them astray. Only leaders who have the desire and discipline to act on their self-awareness can have the greatest impact on their teams and organizations.

In his books and speeches, Mike Abrashoff talks about leaving a leadership legacy. What I like best about his idea of a leadership legacy is that it’s not about reaching some pinnacle of success. Of course great leaders often reach successful heights, but Mike’s idea of a leadership legacy is about leaving a workplace and its employees better off than when a leader first arrives. Ultimately, I believe that even though different leaders seek different outcomes, successful leadership journeys are built upon on the level of self-awareness a leader can attain.

For some people listening is a challenge because it doesn’t come naturally. It’s a skill that needs to be developed. For others listening is only an occasional challenge. As I mentioned above, I sometimes revert to talking more and listening less. I know I do this because it helps me gather information more quickly. But when I make the choice to stop listening, it erodes relationships and limits opportunities. The less you listen, the less chance you have of hearing an innovative idea from a colleague or a concern from a customer that can be satisfied immediately instead of being left to fester. Others have a hard time listening because the day-to-day details of being a manager get in the way. There’s always another report to read or meeting to attend. And, frankly, listening doesn’t always look like work. If that’s the case in your organization, then it may be time for a culture shift. I’ve visited workplaces where leaders have listening on their radar but really only hear their team but do not listen. Remember, your actions will clearly convey to your team if you’re truly listening. Let your actions and words illustrate that you heard them. If you decide to go in another direction, explain why and people will feel comfortable to continue coming to you with ideas, because they know you listened and took the time to provide them insight to your actions..

Mike set an excellent example of the importance of listening as captain of Benfold. He didn’t just listen; he listened aggressively to his crewmembers. Mike found a way to formalize his listening through individual crew interviews. He spoke with every crewmember, a few at a time, to learn more about their hopes, dreams, skills, complaints, and innovative ideas. The crew interviews were highly effective and became the building blocks for many of Mike’s later leadership decisions. However, when the interviews were done, Mike didn’t stop listening. He made himself a visible presence on board Benfold and visited daily with crewmembers. He made himself accessible to the crew so their good ideas and complaints and concerns could make their way to him. And he showed he was listening by addressing these good ideas, complaints, and concerns. More importantly, he created a culture in which crewmembers could trust him and the other members of his leadership team to listen without fear of repercussion. Listening may not always directly benefit the bottom line of a company, but Mike proved over and over again that listening makes for a happier, more productive workforce.