Are Any of the Eight Universal Leadership Derailers Undermining Your Success?

UNIVERSAL LEADERSHIP DERAILERS 

(Excerpted from the CDR Leadership Risk Assessment)

Leadership success and derailment largely depend upon two factors:  

1) the perceptions of others about your performance which includes your relationships with them; and 

2) your contributions or results produced for the good of the organization.  

Overwhelmingly, the first of these is the most critical in terms of leadership derailment.  A leader may have produced outstanding results; yet if he/she has damaged relationships along the way, or has operated with a lack of integrity, derailment may be inevitable.  Universally, or across organizations, leadership derailers can be defined as:

LEADERSHIP DERAILERS	Examples
1. Erosion or betrayal of trust	lack of integrity (honesty, acting congruently with core values, showing respect, etc.), loss of credibility, over-focus on personal agenda, failure to meet commitments
2. Failure to deliver and be accountable	slow to act, studies issues and solutions too long, waits for instruction, short on results
3. Failure to adapt	resists change, difficulty with multiple priorities, lacks flexibility
4. Lack of courage and decisiveness	risk aversive, freezes under uncertainty, fails to assert views; avoids making decisions
5. Creating or endorsing a dysfunctional work environment	failure to support staff, displays  inappropriate emotionality or lack of "emotional intelligence", supports or tolerates hostile work environment
6. Failure to develop people and organization	fails to coach, mentor others, or provide developmental resources; and, unconcerned with bench strength,organizational growth planning issues
7. Lacks forward-looking and inspirational approach	lacks a vision, can't rally troops to produce; does not build enthusiasm toward stretch goals
8. Lack of objectivity and broadmindedness	narrow views, undervalues diversity, strives to preserve personal wishes and bias, not perceived as fair, shows favoritism, does not consider sufficient views or sufficient data in decision making

Copyright © CDR Assessment Group, Tulsa, OK. 1998. All rights reserved. No portion of this may be copied or reproduced without the copyright owner's written permission. Contact:  nparsons@cdrassessmentgroup.com to request permission.

(Authors:  Kimberly Leveridge, Ph.D. & Nancy E. Parsons)  

CDR'S PARSONS CONTRIBUTES CHAPTER TO NEW BOOK ON ENTREPRENEURSHIP

WINNING AT ENTREPRENEURSHIP by Rod Robertson is an in-depth and real life guide on how to hunt for, buy, build and ultimately sell own your business. "Winning at Entrepreneurship: Insider Tips on Buying, Building, and Selling Your Own Business" by Rod Robertson is now available at Amazon.    CDR Assessment Group, Inc.'s President, Nancy Parsons, chapter is titled "Assessing Your Entrepreneurial Capability."   Parsons' goal is to help readers understand what it takes, from a personality and motivational standpoint, to be a hugely successful entrepreneur.  Robertson's insightful and entertaining book takes you deep inside the world of how to put a deal together and buy the business you always wanted. Equally important, it teaches you to avoid the highway to business hell by not getting seduced by the wrong deal that could ruin your life. For most all of us, we have one shot at the winner's circle of business ownership and this easy to read roadmap provides you with truly up-to-date professional advice and knowledge. Whether you're a novice first time buyer to the experienced entrepreneur, you will receive the latest tips and techniques on how to present yourself to the marketplace, raise cash, understand how to value a business and structure a deal to your advantage. Parsons Chapter Begins "You may be surprised to learn that the real reason that only about 10% of entrepreneurs succeed is because very few people have the hard wiring to succeed.   Many people have some of the inherent capabilities needed but very few have the whole package.  Before investing your life savings and your blood, sweat, and tears in a new venture, consider two things:  1) your inherent suitability as an entrepreneur and 2) your team's make up and balance. Your entrepreneurial capability cannot be evaluated by considering your educational pedigree, skills, and experience as sufficient data for this all-consuming business leap..." About the Author: Rod Robertson is the Managing Partner of Briggs Capital a Boston based international Mergers & Acquisition firm that he has managed since 2001. Rod has personally led over fifty successful transactions in buying, selling and raising capitals for deals typically ranging up to $30M in size.  Rod Robertson Rod enjoys public speaking and is an annual guest at the Harvard Business School and Babson MBA programs among other educational institutions around the globe. Rod is a constant voice on the airwaves and in print in the mergers and acquisition world. He has traveled to over 55 countries lecturing and growing his collection of military antiques. He was most recently the Head Delegate of a trade mission to the Ukraine as well as other countries in that region.  The book website is: www.winninge.com About Nancy Parsons Nancy co-founded CDR Assessment Group, Inc. and she co-developed the Nancy Parsons break-through CDR 3-D Suite (Leadership Character, Risks and Drivers & Rewards Assessments) in 1998 that has been translated to five languages for global clients.  She has over 25 years expertise in leadership development & coaching, assessments, training, organizational development, and HR. Parsons has presented at international, national and regional industry conferences and has instructed coaching skills workshops for more than 1000 leaders and consultants from global organizations.      How Rod & Nancy Connected... Nearly 10 years ago Rod contacted Nancy as he had a client interested in entering the assessment business.  While a business deal was not made back then, Rod took the CDR 3-D Suite Assessments and had coaching feedback with Nancy which made a lasting impression on him.   Media Contact Summer Brown, Business & Client Services Director CDR Assessment Group, Inc. cdrinfo@cdrassessmentgroup.com   or call 918.488.0722   FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

© Copyright 2014, CDR Assessment Group, Inc. All rights reserved.

CDR End of Year Sale, Houston Office Opens, and more!

The CDR 3-D Suite is unmatched in scope, accuracy and relevance to leadership performance and development.  This is a GREAT time to purchase credits for coaching and developing your leaders and staff at a discount! For pre-pay orders received from December 15 through January 15, 2015:    $35 off CDR 3-D Suites* (full reports only; minimum 10 Suites)  When ordering 100 Suites or more**, $50 off per Suite  Assessment credits purchased will be good for assessments through January 31, 2016  To order, contact:  tbelk@cdrassessmentgroup.com or call 918-488-0722 to order today!   *This discount is off of the regular $350 Suite price for e-copy reports and accompanying data sheets only.  No discounts on printed versions.  Some other restrictions may apply and this offer cannot be combined with any other discounts or contracts.  The 360 Leader Scan and selection assessments are not part of this sale. **For orders of 100 or more, 50% pre-pay with monthly payments thereafter. Why Consider CDR's Accelerated Leadership Coaching Many executive coaches take weeks or even months to get at key issues in the coaching process. This is not the case with CDR Assessment Group's global executive coaching team.  We tee off with the CDR 3-D Suite at the first coaching session to accelerate the process by revealing a clear blueprint for development.   So, rather than taking 2 to 3 months "getting to know" your leaders, CDR Coaches begin right away with sharpening self awareness to yield measurable, productive results.  Positive change begins with the first coaching session.   We save our clients valuable time and money by cutting to the chase about what it will take each leader to be the best they can be.  Leaders gain insights to re-energize and focus on what drives them to succeed.    We don't dance, spin or hold clients' hands.  We get to work by equipping leaders to embrace and build their authentic capability. VISIT OUR WEBSITE CDR Executive Coaching Certification 2015 Workshop Dates & Locations: Feb 25 & 26, 2015  Houston  April 8 & 9, 2015 Philadelphia July 22 & 23, 2015 Denver November 11 - 12, 2015 Dallas We are also planning to add a Toronto, Canada session in January or February, so please call 918-488-0722 or email tbelk@cdrassessmentgroup.com if you would like a brochure and if you have interest in enrolling. CDR Introduces Houston Office... Since 1998, CDR has based in Tulsa and has offered services through our network of globally dispersed certified executive coaches and consultants who are foremost leaders in the industry. We are delighted to announce the addition of a Houston based CDR consulting office convenient to energy corridor clients.  Stay tuned for upcoming introductory test-run sessions for Houston-based leadership development and HR/OD internal experts.   Or, to reserve a personal meeting to learn more about our services and break-through tools, call 918.630.6628.

CDR Assessment Group, Inc. 918-488-0722 cdrinfo@cdrassessmentgroup.com http://www.cdrassessmentgroup.com blog:  www.cdrassess.blogspot.com

EBOLA VIRUS - What You Need to Know by William C. Parsons, MD, MPH

Ebola virus has made the news, and has been somewhat sensationalized as the first case has been diagnosed in Dallas.  The patient was in Liberia at a family funeral.  He returned to the US, and four days after arriving at his Dallas home, he became sick.  He was hospitalized in isolation at a Dallas hospital and died this morning.  Preliminary reports have now surfaced that a second patient (a family contact) is in the process of being tested.  Ebola is now in America.  How concerned should you be?  You should be aware of the situation, but by no means should you be highly fearful.

Ebola is not spread like influenza or the common cold.  These diseases are spread by airborne droplets from a cough or sneeze.  Ebola requires direct contact with bodily fluids from a clinically sick patient.  The disease starts like a simple flu, but over 48 hours, it rapidly deteriorates to a painful, debilitating condition with bleeding from all body orifices.  In over 50% of cases, death occurs within 72 to 96 hours of this stage.  The dead body fluids are infectious and may be the source infection for the Dallas patient.

The infectious bodily fluids must come from a clinically sick patient.  A patient is not infectious during the incubation period.  This infected fluid must either enter a break in the skin or through a mucus membrane (mouth, eye, etc.) to infect a new host.  Prompt use of soap and water can remove the virus from intact skin.  The risk of infection is the highest for family members, intimate contacts, and healthcare workers.  It is very low for the local community population.

The incubation period is 2 to 21 days with the average being 6 to 9 days.  The initial symptom is a fever above 101.5 F (38.6 C).  All patient contacts are to be monitored for this sentinel fever for a full 21 days.  If a fever appears, that person is immediately quarantined and tested for the disease.  If there is no fever in the 3 weeks, the contact’s monitoring is stopped and that person is declared disease free.  These actions are currently in use for approximately 80 individuals in Dallas.

In conclusion, this is a serious, deadly disease that we should be regarding with awareness.  Risk of infection involves intimate contact with a clinically sick individual that has had some connection with a West African source.  The spread can be controlled using common Public Health measures that are available in most US hospitals and larger communities.  The risk for the general US population is minimal at this time. 

We are monitoring the spread of this disease and the levels of risk for the duration of this epidemic.  We are not only monitoring the US situation, but also the spread in Africa.   Should threat levels change, we will be providing updates as soon as information is available.

William (Bill) Parsons is the Chief Medical Officer of Phillips 66.  He directs the Company wide medical surveillance programs and internally consults to management, human resources, legal, and safety regarding matters that have a medical or health component.  He oversees the medical operations of 14 refinery medical clinics and 3 corporate medical clinics staffed by 20 registered nurses, 4 physician assistant/nurse practitioners along with 15 part time contracted physicians.

Dr. Parsons has been a physician for 30 years and is a Fellow in Occupational Medicine and is also board certified in Family Medicine.  He has an extensive medical background in the petrochemical industry having also held medical positions in CITGO Petroleum, Phillips Petroleum Company, and Sunoco.  In addition, he was an associate professor for 5 years with the University of Oklahoma Department of Family Medicine in Tulsa.  Academically, he holds a Doctor of Medicine from the University of Oklahoma, a Masters of Public Health from the Medical College of Wisconsin, and a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from the University of Missouri.

Bill is married to Nancy Parsons, President of CDR Assessment Group, Inc.

Self Awareness Required for Exceptional Leadership

The most successful leaders share a variety of qualities that help them in becoming the best kind of

leader. It isn't about emulating a role model or an historic figure. Rather, a leader must be rooted in one's true self and be able to recognize and develop their true talent. How can a leader find their true self?

Leaders who have a strong understanding of their true self have a greater ability to motivate staff, serve as role model, build effective teams and relationships, and to reach personal, professional, and organizational goals. Equally important for exceptional leadership is recognizing and managing one’s own inherent personal risk factors.   Tapping into one’s true strengths, while managing one’s risk factors productively, allows the leader to build positive relationships with staff, clients, senior leaders, and all other key stakeholders. 

What can happen to the leader who is unaware or is unwilling to look squarely at themself?  Derailment, job-hopping, sub-par performance, high turnover, alienation of staff, are common occurrences. Or, the results can be as simple as rejection of feedback and the failure to accept responsibility that can erode trust and credibility.  The latter is a slower road to derailment or lackluster performance results. 

When members of the C-Suite get the boot, it is not because of their intelligence or lack of knowledge.  Typically, it is because of their lack of self-awareness and ineffective behaviors gone unchecked. They lack the ability and humility to build and maintain appropriate relationships with the right people.   Leaders who lack personal self-awareness are generally not good at being keenly perceptive about others and tend to lack objectivity.

For example, imagine the CEO who has strong Egotist tendencies and surrounds himself or herself with Pleasers.  This is not healthy from the outset. Egotists tend to see themselves as infallible and do not accept feedback well.   Pleasers are yes people – so they are unlikely to push back. Egotists see themselves as superior and smarter than everyone else.   Often, this comes with a sense of self entitlement too.  In this type of group scenario, the Egotist CEO tends to bully or run slipshod all over the team.  So the lack of self-awareness, in this case, is devastating to the organization. In operating or plant environments, this dysfunctional team can pose safety or environmental risks.   Keep in mind Egotists play up well and are often charismatic, so the Board of Directors, may take a long time, if ever, in realizing what is going on and the damage may be done.

There have also been executives who, after going through self-awareness coaching say, “We’ll that is who I am they will just have to live with it.” One such CEO was a Perfectionist to the highest degree and required constant updates from all executives that were not necessary in the retail industry.  His executives never had a full day off.  Burn out was rampant and he refused to back off – even though he knew his demands were not required for the business, but merely to satisfy his comfort level and need for excessive information. He did not yield to the feedback and eventually lost his position due to his micro-management and rigidity.

Self-aware leaders are clear about their strengths – even the nuances of their capabilities and are able to leverage those.  Then, they are humble and open about their short sides and risks and work each day to keep those from interfering with relationships and bottom-line performance.  They welcome the differences of each team member and work to cultivate and maximize the diverse team strengths while neutralizing risks and gaps.  Exceptional leaders are authentic leaders who are willing to look at themselves and others with clarity, compassion, objectivity and courage.

Since 1998, CDR Assessment Group has been focusing on helping our clients to increase their self-awareness through leadership coaching feedback CDR  3-D Suite of assessments.

The CDR 3-D Suite is a robust leader/talent development tool that provides specific tangible performance and development suggestions measured through:

•   Character leader acumen, strengths, best-fit role, emotional intelligence and more

•   Drivers, intrinsic motivation, aversions, and values

•   Risk factors that can impede effectiveness, damage relationships and lead to derailment

If you want to know your true self, email cdrinfo@cdrassessmentgroup.com or call 918.488.0722 today to get started.   We have CDR certified executive coaches available globally to debrief your confidential assessment results to heighten your self awareness.  Go to www.cdrassessmentgroup.com to learn more.  Your calls are welcomed!