What You Say Is What You Get®-What Can Dance Leaders Teach You about Leadership?

What You Say Is What You Get®: Positive Leadership Power from Dr. Linne Bourget, September, 2018

The Dance of Lead and Follow--What Can Dance Leaders Teach You about Leadership?

Advancing the Dance of Lead and Follow as a business metaphor, I interviewed 20 advanced,

all star and champion dance leaders, all competitors, at a recent convention. I asked what 

was the most important thing to do as a leader in social dancing? 

Why These Leaders and This Question?

1. These higher level competitors have training and experience to provide wise insights..

no beginners...like my executive clients.

2. In social dancing, they lead all levels of followers, like business leaders with employees.

3. As competitors, they understand and are proficient in dealing with a competitive 

environment (dance partners, judges, audience, music, floor, fans/supporters/friends, competitors, social media, international conventions), like business leaders 

have to adapt to dealing with employees, customers, strategic partners, competitors, 

media/social media, and global market dynamics.

What Did They Say Was the Most Important Thing to Do as a Leader? 

What Do These Dance Leaders Teach You as Business Leaders?

Here are their top 6 responses/priorities, in this order and the business leadership

implications of each:

1. Keep my partner safe, no injuries. This is crucial for the advanced dance moves I enjoy

and the turbulent global market requiring advanced leadership! This is analogous to a 

business leader protecting the business and employees, via physical, financial, psychological,

and cybersecurity strategies. Advanced leaders do this well!

2. Adjust my level of dancing to hers. This is the Collaborative Leader, skilled enough to 

adjust his/her communication and leadership strategies to different levels of employees

for creating greater relationships in business.

These higher level leaders understood this well. This is crucial for leading in the complexity

of the global market with demands for rapid change and innovation, and for talent retention, 

so employees feel seen and heard.

3. Smile, make her feel good, comfortable, be positive. This reflects the need for leaders 

to create a positive culture by offering positive energy and communication. My current 

Manual for the Strengths Awareness System in my What You Say Is What You Get® 

Positive Leadership Series discusses this in depth. Only a Positive Culture can support 

successful FAST change and innovation and strengthen keeping your best talent.

“Business momentum follows positive energy

and is destroyed by negative energy.”

Dr. Linne’s Power Quote

4. Give her a great connection. This relates to having the leadership skill to know how 

to connect with different personalities and styles in business, a crucial skill, while keeping 

your own leadership strength and skill present to guide interactions. 

5. Be aware of how I impact her, relax, be calm and mindful of my leading, my partner, 

and the music. This means being able to attune to those you lead, seeing your impact 

on them, not just focusing on yourself as leader.  This is essential for success as a 

Collaborative Leader, and crucial for leading rapid innovation, now a major challenge. 

Millenials expect this, so retaining their talent requires this.

  

6. Give the lady a clear signal, leads that convey what I want. This sounds basic for business leaders, but often leaders’ messages leave room for multiple interpretations and confusion. Sorting this out and resolving the difficulties caused by this wastes your company time and money! Clarity is money in the bank and creates higher employee engagement. This is highly valued in dance leadership, and leaders at this level immediately apologize when they (rarely) give an unclear lead.  Unclear leads happen more often 

in business, as leaders may not realize theygive unclear leads.Many executive clients’ 
messages have a different impact than they intend due to lack of clarity. 

A beloved Senior Vice President client in  a Fortune 150 firm joked about leaving. His entire Division was upset! I spent the whole day undoing rumors and re-assuring them he was just joking! No  other work got done! He did not intend to or realize he would upset them!

Economically and psychologically expensive!

“No leader can be the forest to his/her own trees”.

Dr. Linne’s Power Quote

How Do You Rate? If I interviewed your leadership team, what would they say?

1. How safe do they feel?

2. How well do you adjust your communication to their level?

3. How positively do you come across, making them comfortable?

4. How well do you connect the them?

5. How aware are you of your impact on them?

6. How clear are your leadership communications?

In my experience, clients rarely do all these well at first...they need to build their skills in order

to succeed, so always be willing to invest in building your skills! 

I appreciate all of your positive leadership.

Peace and Prosperity,

Dr. Linne

 

"Build on Your Best" Giving you the power to predict, profit, &; protect 
Dr. Linne Bourget M.A. M.B.A. Ph. D.
 www.oldpowernewpower.com www.whatyousayiswhatyouget.com 
Pioneer, strengths-based leadership, Master Intuition System 
Founder/CEO 480-767-1717 Institute for Transformation Leaders& Consultants 
Strategist, Consultant, Speaker, Author of From Old Power to New Power – Which Leaders Will Survive? 
Co-author with Mark Victor Hansen, Deepak Chopra, Amazon #1Bestseller, Wake Up, Live the Life You Love - Finding Personal Freedom 
Author, What You Say Is What You Get® Series: The Secret Language of Great Business Results 
Dr. Linne's Leadership Guides Series Positive Quotient PQ® Questionnaire Appreciative Quotient AQ® Questionnaire Secrets of Powerful Appreciation for Parents and Children, 2 CD Audio by "Dr. Appreciation" Appreciation: The Secret Key to Magical Marriage "The greatest challenge is taking complete responsibility for your own greatness." Dr. Linne Copyright 2005-2018. All Rights Reserved. Dr. Linne Bourget, M.A., M.B.A., Ph.D.

For Positive Leaders, Three Levels of Leadership Skill--How Do You Rate?

Hi, Everyone,

Welcome to the mid-month short powerful What You Say Is What You Get®: Positive Leadership Power Newsletter from Dr. Linne Bourget, April 2018  Three Levels of Leadership Skill-What Level Are You? How Do You Rate?

Leaders come in all skill levels...how high is your skill level?

Why does this matter for your business results?

What results so leaders at different skill levels produce with their teams?

Using the dance of lead and follow as a metaphor for your business, here are three categories of leaders:

1. Champions: I dance with leaders who are national champions and have invested heavily with professionals for their leadership skills.

2. Competitors: I also dance with competitors who invest in working with professionals to build their leadership skills and are working their way up, not at the champion level. 

3. Social Dancers: I dance  with men who come to an occasional workshop or watch videos but do not invest in working with professionals to build their leadership skills, they are there socially rather than for dance (business) leadership excellence.

What impact do these leaders have on my dancing, i.e. your business results? I have extensive training from professionals, no longer compete, but do showcase performance dances and work with a national champion to keep building my skills, am an advanced dancer (business contributor).

Bottom line results of leadership skill level:

1. The champions I dance with know more moves, lead much better, have much better technique, are much better partners, try new moves they are working on with me, and collaborate superbly in improvisation.  They dance the music (respond to the external business environment) faster and more fully, are more fun to dance with, see my dance strengths and dance me at my ability.  They are all  younger and do not “dance down” due to the age difference. They see what I can do and give me challenging moves. (Strengths-based leaders get the most from their teams.)

They always make it clear where they want me, (give clear direction) and give me space to add my own moves (create room for different styles on the team). I love the fun, presence, challenges and as a result I dance (perform in business) better, follow more precisely, more creatively, more energetically, and match their style better while adding my own moves (focus more on what you as the leader want, add creative innovation in your teams). They never hurt me (they know protecting team members is crucial). I trust them with unusual moves even while my back is still recovering from the car accident. (I.e. Your teams trust you when you take business risks.) We "accomplish" much more per song (per meeting) than lower level leaders do.
“Leadership is the wise use of power. Power is the capacity to translate intention into reality and sustain it.” Warren G. Bennis

2. With competitors, we collaborate well, they do fun moves, and some are very talented at co-creating a dance to the music (again, responding to the business environment).  They are usually clear in direction, protective, creative, present, and leave me space to add my own moves....but not always. Some dance me at my own level, and some under-dance me due to age, assuming I can’t do some types of moves, which I can do. (Agism in business is frequent.) Sometimes they do some weird move that hurts my neck, because they don’t have the training on how to lead neck moves yet. Result:  I dance well with them but don’t give them 100% until they prove they will not hurt me, I follow carefully but again unless I can trust them consistently, I will not add as much of my own creativity if they pull me out of my move, not paying attention. In business, this means you are not getting the full ability, commitment and innovation from your teams unless you consistently show great leadership skills.  Hit or miss always misses. We often accomplish much per song (meeting), but not consistently.

3. Social Dancers: I dance less with them, as they do not invest in their leadership skills and may hurt me, under-dance me hugely, make me look awkward, not hear or dance the music, provide no challenge, lead roughly, and do not collaborate, but just expect me to follow all their moves and add nothing of my own.  Frustrating, boring and no fun! You can see how this affects your teams, they are not likely to produce great results for your business! We "accomplish" much less per song (meeting).

Which type of leader are you?
How do you rate?
How committed are you to invest in your leadership skills, to be the best leader and get the best results from your teams for your business?

Positive Paradigms Promote Profits! My clients are committed to their success and invest accordingly.

“Leaders know the importance of having someone in their lives who will unfailingly and fearlessly tell them the truth.” Dr. Warren Bennis, consultant to 4 U.S. Presidents, author, 30 leadership books.

I appreciate all your positive leadership!
Peace and prosperity,
Dr. Linne "The greatest challenge is taking responsibility for your own greatness." Dr. Linne's Power Quote
 "Build on Your Best" Systems for Leaders, Consultants and Coaches
Dr. Linne Bourget M.A. M.B.A. Ph.D.
www.oldpowernewpower.com www.whatyousayiswhatyouget.com
480-767-1717
http://www.linkedin.com/in/oldpowernewpower
Blog: http://drlinnebourget.blogspot.com/
Economist, Change/Leadership Expert
Fortune 10, 50, 100 Consultant to Executives
Pioneer, strengths-based leadership,
Founder/CEO Institute for Transformation Leaders & Consultants
Consultant, Speaker, Author: From Old Power to New Power - Which Leaders Will Survive?
Co-author with Mark Victor Hansen, Deepak Chopra, Amazon #1Bestseller, Wake Up Live the Life You Love-Finding Personal Freedom
Author, What You Say Is What You Get® Positive Leadership Series:
The Secret Language of Great Business Results
Positive Quotient® PQ & Appreciative Quotient® AQ Questionnaires "Build on Your Best"
Copyright 2004-2018. All Rights Reserved. Dr. Linne Bourget, M.A., M.B.A., Ph.D.

Welcome to the short powerful What You Say Is What You Get® Positive Leadership Power Blog

for Feb. 2018, from Dr. Linne Bourget, M.A, M.B.A, Ph.D. , Appreciative Leadership Trailblazer!

How High Is Your Appreciative Quotient®, or AQ, as a Leader?

Now that we are launched into our 2018 goals, and since it is Valentine's week, it is a great time to checkon your Appreciative Leadership Power skills!

*How often do you appreciate those who work with you?

*If I interviewed them, how would they answer this question?

As I often say, giving Appreciation helps you as the giver as much as it does the receiver, for it keepsyou focused on the positive in your business and associates. 

Always be sincere and specific so you are a credible feedback giver!

Research shows that people remember the negative more than the positive, so repeating the positive helps anchor it!

 

But research also shows that positive companies are more profitable, so giving appreciation is a good investment!

In my recent showcase dance with a national champion, I learned that great leaders also need to learn how to leadnew things and need appreciation even though they are highly skilled top-notch professionals.  I thought I was the one who needed to learn as I am experienced but still an amateur, but he needed to stop and figure out how to lead a sequence we had never done before, so it was an "aha" moment, as I thought he already had it down.

Leaders need appreciation too! I appreciated him often!

President's Day is coming up...send appreciative thoughts to the President too...toughest job on the planet, especially now!

"Whatever you appreciate, appreciates."  Dr. Jean Houston

I appreciate all your positive leadership!

Peace and prosperity, and Happy Valentine's Day

Dr. Linne

Dr. Linne Bourget, M.A., M.B.A., Ph.D.

"Build on Your Best" Systems for Leaders, Consultants and Coaches

Dr. Linne Bourget M.A. M.B.A. Ph.D.

www.oldpowernewpower.com www.whatyousayiswhatyouget.com

480-767-1717

http://www.linkedin.com/in/oldpowernewpower

Blog: http://drlinnebourget.blogspot.com/

Economist, Change/Leadership Expert

Fortune 10, 50, 100 Consultant to Executives

Pioneer, strengths-based leadership,

Founder/CEO Institute for Transformation Leaders& Consultants

Consultant, Speaker, Author: From Old Power to New Power - Which Leaders Will Survive?

Co-author with Mark Victor Hansen, Deepak Chopra, Amazon #1Bestseller, Wake Up Live the Life You Love-Finding Personal Freedom

Author, What You Say Is What You Get® Positive Leadership Series:

The Secret Language of Great Business Results

Positive Quotient® PQ & Appreciative Quotient® AQ Questionnaires

Welcome to the  short powerful What You Say Is What You Get® Positive Leadership Power Newsletterfrom Dr. Linne Bourget, May 2017

Honoring Mothers and Vets, The Blended Positive Leadership Model  

For Mothers  

First, this Mother’s Day, Appreciation and Gratitude to you ladies for mothering your children, other family members, co-workers, your churches and communities and all other mothering often unrecognized...this is very important...the feminine hand is a crucial balancing and nurturing force in our world.

For Our Vets

And to our amazing Vets,  for Memorial Day, we are so grateful for your service and sacrifices...without you we would not have our freedoms or our nation!! My father, a U.S. Army Colonel, was gone for long stretches and suffered from PTS when he returned, which harmed the family, as there was no counseling...they just called it “shell shock” or “battle fatigue”, but I honor his service to our country greatly.

Blended Positive Leadership

As you know from previous newsletters, I am working on the dance of lead and follow in preparation for my showcase dance.  It is a very special blended leadership model as he leads and I follow but we are also team members collaborating in choreography.  He asks what I want, then adds to that from his expertise as a professional. He wants me to have what I want and to show me off well, and I want to show him off well too.

As this unfolds, I am not a traditional follower and he is not a traditional leader, so we are blending the two roles, leader/follower and team members.

So far we have had no confusion or conflict in combining these roles despite technical difficulties with video, music, etc.  How is this possible? We have a good foundation.

What is Our Foundation for This Blended Model? How Can We Do This?

Here are my initial thoughts...this is an ongoing learning process.

1. We have danced together for years, so know each other’s strengths.

2. From our first dance we have always danced well together...good connection.

3. We bring positive energy and commitment to our dances, via our positive values (hire people with positive values).

4. We both give positive feedback (the core of my leadership work).

5. We hear the music (external environment) similarly.

6. He leads extremely well and clearly, making challenging moves easier.

7. I follow well, having extensive training as a follower, yet being trained in “active following” as a dancer and positive collaborative teamwork, I add both to following.

8. We both have many years of experience as dancers, he as a professional, I as an amateur. (Hire people with experience.)

9. We are both creative in interpreting music choreographically (business strategy responding to the external environment).

10.We both know many dances, so have a lot of moves to choose from (experience in many business situations).

11.He sees my ability to do more than I am aware of!!(Very rare, usually I do this for clients! Feels great!)

Results to date:  Choreography and styling (marketing, PR) are coming along well, with little backtracking and re-doing. The moves are advanced moves, with just the right amount of challenge for me. We have Latin, Jazz, West Coast Swing and Hustle included in a dance lasting one minute and 45 seconds (multiple complex demanding time-pressured business requirements).

“A leader who appreciates the best will create more of it.” 

Dr. Linne’s Power Quote

Stay tuned! In future editions I will be drawing more parallels to business leadership and how to apply this blended leadership model.  Millenials expect leadership like this, so good to learn about it!

 "Build on Your Best" Giving you the power to predict, profit, & protect 
Dr. Linne Bourget M.A. M.B.A. Ph. D www.oldpowernewpower.com www.whatyousayiswhatyouget.com Pioneer, strengths-based leadership, Master Intuition System 
Founder/CEO 480-767-1717 Institute for Transformation Leaders& Consultants 
Strategist, Consultant, Speaker, Author of From Old Power to New Power – Which Leaders Will Survive? Co-author with Mark Victor Hansen, Deepak Chopra, Amazon #1Bestseller, Wake Up, Live the Life You Love - Finding Personal Freedom 
 Author, What You Say Is What You Get® Series: The Secret Language of Great Business Results Dr. Linne's Leadership Guides Series Positive Quotient PQ® Questionnaire Appreciative Quotient AQ® Questionnaire Secrets of Powerful Appreciation for Parents and Children, 2 CD Audio by "Dr. Appreciation" Appreciation: The Secret Key to Magical Marriage Power Course on Intuition for Business Leaders! 

"The greatest challenge is taking complete responsibility for your own greatness." Dr. Linne Copyright 2005-2017. All Rights Reserved. Dr. Linne Bourget, M.A., M.B.A., Ph.D.