Organizational Champion Webcast – Ep. 08 – The Change Maker

 

 Organizational Champion Webcast - Ep. 08 - The Change Maker [42:46m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

In today’s episode, we discuss our next stop on the Champion’s ECChO model, the Change-Maker. It also brings us to an interesting chicken & egg dilemma that every leader faces.  That and much more in today’s episode of The Organizational Champion Webcast.

Show Notes:

In The News:
CNN and Career Builder’s Top Ten cities for College Graduates.

Why is Change So Important to Companies?

Three Characteristics or Outcomes of the Connected Leader:

• Action-Oriented
• Resilient
• Agile

Discussion about Change Maker:

What are the steps I can take this week to transform my company/team into a Change-making Team?

1. Connect Culture to Mission
2. Open Enterprise Collaboration
3. Find the Right Measures/Measure the Right Things
   - Focus on Outcomes Rather than Outputs
4. Push Decision Making Down
5. Establish Accountability
6. Get Executive Involvement

Links:

www.championseccho.com
www.twitter.com/ThompsonOC

Tags: agile, agility, amazon, book, champion, change, help, Hill, Leadership, leading, maker, McGraw, organizational, Podcast, webcast

The Organizational Champion – Sneak Peak #2 (The Contents)

As the official June 5th launch date approaches, find the next sneak peak inside the book – the Contents with a brief explanation (available only for the readers of this blog) for each section. The Contents are split into three parts:

Part I: The Premise for the Organizational Champion

Chapter 1 – What Distinguishes Extraordinary Leadership? (pages 13-32): This was somewhat of a struggle for me because I was emotionally dissatisfied with what the leadership term had to offer during these complex times. The leadership term was like a blanket describing anyone behind any progress – and everyone qualified. I felt like the word “leadership” and all its derivatives had been overused and were unable to distinguish anymore. This is why I introduced the word champion. Champions don’t compete, they win regardless of circumstance. Champion is also a verb (i.e. to champion something or someone). Today, we need our champions – those who win and those who champion bold ideas and the people behind them.

Chapter 2 – You Need champions to Win Championships (pages 33-54): Though I liked the term “champion” and what it stood for, it was important to identify people who exuded champion characteristics. Not all of these champions were in the most successful companies. Some of these champions have been involved in corporate turnaround efforts as well. But every one of the champions featured in the book is in pursuit of championships for their organization.

Part II: Becoming an Organizational Champion

Chapter 3 – Discover Yourself (pages 55-78): In Part II of the book, I emphasize application – what it takes, specifically, to become an organizational champion. The first part of the champion process is to become enlightened. Chapter 3 provides a step-by-step process toward becoming an enlightened individual.

Chapter 4 – Be an Energizer of the Culture (pages 79-104): Chapter 4 presents how to move from enlightenment, an inward focused process, to becoming inspirational, the emotional expression of your true self. Through their authenticity and passion, champions inspire a healthy culture.

Chapter 5 – Connect through Mutually Beneficial Relationships (pages 105-126): Champions don’t go it alone, but rather, they have an amazing ability to connect. They are in constant pursuit of reliable and trusted relationships, and they invest deeply into them. These trusted relationships give them the edge of others.

Chapter 6 – Create Organizational Agility (pages 127-146): Champions are change agents. Because they build trusted relationships, they can leverage these relationships to successfully execute transformational change initiatives.

Chapter 7 – Ignite the Possibilities (pages 147-164): If chapter 6 is about operational execution, then chapter 7 is about the pursuit of bold visions. Champions do both – dream big and execute well. Champions are curious and rarely comfortable. This chapter gives tips toward becoming more curious and imaginative behind possibilities.

Chapter 8 – What You Can Do to Become an Organizational Champion (pages 165-192): This chapter acknowledges that the champion pursuit isn’t an easy one. Presented are four specific lifestyle recommendations that will help you in your pursuit. These lifestyle recommendations might be counter-intuitive to a degree, but very effective, nonetheless.

Part III: The Promise of The Organizational Champion

Chapter 9 – Unleashing the Organizational Champion (pages 193-216): Much like chapter 8 highlighted four specific lifestyle recommendations for you as an individual in the champion pursuit, Chapter 9 presents recommendations to organizations who want to seed their culture with such champions. This chapter also provides tips for champions who might be suppressed in stagnant companies.

Chapter 10 – What Organizational Champions Do for Your Company (pages 217-234): Chapter 10 helps summarize what company’s can expect from such champions. I guess you might call this chapter, the “reason to buy” chapter. It explains why organizations should embrace the core principles of organizational champions and how these champions will help position these companies for success well into the future.

Onward!

Tags: book, champion, chapters, description, organizational, peak, sneak

The Organizational Champion Sneak Peek #1

My new book, The Organizational Champion is set to be released on June 5th.  Prior to release, I thought I would give you, the readers of this blog, some sneak peeks into the new book.

Below is an excerpt from the Acknowledgments:

My social media friends on Facebook, Twitter, Champ’em, and The Organizational Champions blog—you have been a source of energy through this endeavor because your constant ideas and passions have helped ignite mine.

There are so many people who helped me write this book, not the least of whom is you, the Internet audience.  People who read and participate on this blog as well as people who follow me on Twitter.

I am excited for the book to be released and for the conversation to continue.  I have said before that my hope for this book is to ignite a movement, and you have an important role in that so I would be remiss to not recognize the contribution of you, the Internet audience.

Onward.

Tags: book, mike, release, theorganizationalchampion, thompson

The Organizational Champion Webcast – Ep. 04

 

 The Organizational Champion Webcast - Ep. 04 [48:44m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Show Notes:

We invite you to check out www.ChampEm.com.

WHY WE WORK:

• Through the Decades
• Today

SETH GODIN BIO:

• Author of 10 books on Marketing
• He has the number one most read blog about Marketing
• Pundit
• Thinker
• His job is to ask the questions and make observations that others can’t either due to their perspective or simple lack of time.
• www.sethgodin.com

TRIBES:
Our culture value system as moved toward what Marketing Guru Seth Godin calls Tribes.  Tribes are a group of people who are brought together by a common belief or idea and then moved toward a common goal.  In order for a tribe to exist, there needs to be a shared idea and a way to communicate.

WHAT IS IT THAT IS GOING TO DRIVE THE EXTRAORDINARY COMPANIES MOVING FORWARD:

• How do I adjust to such cultural shifts?

TWITTER QUESTION OF THE WEEK:
Does you workplace focus more on individual or team?

@jtnelso: ‘Our company’ truly focuses on each. But more so the individual.

@Stanleyyork: i think teams, b/c you build individuals through teamwork. rarely vice versa

guest: our workplace is all about building certain individuals

@mpaladino: Both, but would lean towards teams. Strong teams breed strong individuals. The converse of that is not always true.

Rodney: Revenue is the correct answer.

Rick: You develop people so that you have the building blocks to build a Team.  You can not sacrifice or prioritize one at the expense of the other.

Jennifer: My husband would say teams…as a high school principal he wants his staff to feel like a part of something bigger than just one classroom teacher, but I totally see Finley’s point about the church, too…

Alex: teams

Finley: individual for me…its one life at a time…that’s how we build the church

Scott: Teams

David: You build individuals with a team mindset. “Leadership is the art of getting someone else to do something you want done—because he wants to do it.” – Dwight D. Eisenhower. Individuals or members of a team matter not without leadership.

JOIN THE CONVERSATION:
podcast@organizationalchampions.com
Mike’s Twitter Address: www.twitter.com/ThompsonOC
Murray’s Twitter Adress: www.twitter.com/MurDog

Tags: book, Godin, management, marketing, mike, Podcast, Seth, theorganizationalchampion, thompson, tribes

Enlightenment is the Key Differentiator of Extraordinary People

Becoming enlightened is the first step toward becoming an organizational champion because the process starts with you. Living enlightened means living true to yourself and your unique design – authentically, genuinely, consistently. Naturally living out your core propensity is necessary for personal efficiency and effectiveness. Don’t diminish the importance of personal growth and improvement, however. But realize that your best improvement will grow from your core sense of self. If you’re an introvert, you’ll likely never be a natural extrovert—but you might learn to communicate better. If you’re an academic, you might not be an artist (though these aren’t mutually exclusive)—but you might learn to think more creatively.

Those who fail to understand who they are often fail to lead naturally, always trying to fit into someone else’s leadership mold. This only leads to frustration and inefficiency. Through perspective and understanding, embrace who you are naturally—pursue growth from your core, and unleash your unique and valuable gifts.

• Discovering yourself gives you a new found significance and sense of purpose.
• Discovering yourself gives you more freedom to move through life and run wild as you’ve defined your own playing field.
• Discovering yourself gives you new energy and passion that allow you to bring your best to any situation.

The road to enlightenment begins with self-discovery. And the road to self-discovery isn’t always easy. In fact, many people find it a very difficult trek. But by accepting the difficulty—even embracing it—we discover ourselves, and through that discovery we can enlarge ourselves and our impact.

Tags: book, champion, development, enlighten, enlightened, leader, Leadership, organizational, theorganizationalchampion

Reach Out When Others Won’t

I was in a meeting yesterday when one of the participants proudly stated that he only invests in relationships that are mutually beneficial. And why not? After all, why should he invest in a relationship when he gets very little, if anything in return? These types of relationships are considered to be direct reciprocity relationships.

I knew I disagreed with this person’s relational mentality, but I just didn’t know why. I knew that I had benefited from benevolent relationships (still do) and that I’m so appreciative of those people who invested in me when I had nothing to give. These types of relationships are considered to be indirect reciprocity relationships.

Direct reciprocity means I support you, you support me, and together we’re better and stronger. It’s a barter system and relies on repeat encounters of mutual cooperation and mutual benefit. We see direct reciprocity relationships in formal or informal strategic partnerships, in peer-to-peer accountability groups, and in open brainstorming efforts.

Indirect reciprocity, on the other hand, occurs where mutual and equal contribution and benefit don’t necessarily exist. The cooperation favors one side more than the other, such as in mentor/mentee relationships or in relationships developed for charity. Repeat encounters aren’t necessary for indirect reciprocity, either. For example, helping a stranger change a flat tire or a simple gesture of “after you, sir” is indirect reciprocity.

So how do champions rank relationally? Do they focus more on mutually beneficial relationships or do they tend to take on the bulk of the relational investment? After perusing SVI’s database of information, here’s what I found:

Champions actively seek to support and enable close to 40 percent more people throughout their network than others

• They are significantly more focused on others.
• They are significantly more energizing to others.
• They are significantly more encouraging to others.
• They are significantly more enabling to others.
• They provide significantly more support and advice to others.
• They are significantly better problem solvers for others.

Obviously the relationships of a champion are not balanced equally regarding value.

If you’re a champion, you’re called to reach out when others won’t. As a champion, you’re compelled to lend a hand when others walk away. When someone cries for help, a champion will listen and take action if she can.

These are needy times. Champions are attuned to the needs of others and they lend support regardless of the value they get in return.

Tags: book, champion, organizational