Tag Archives: synergy

Leadership Mints Series Sampler: Collaboration Celebration

Balancing each other on the Teeter-Totter (or SeeSaw), the two elementary school girls personified a key leadership skill: cooperating with each other for their mutual benefit.

With that well-secured bond of trust, each can soar to new heights with the reciprocal action of the other.

But without that bond of trust linking these partners, one can come quickly crashing down when the other simply steps off the Teeter Totter and walks away.

That’s why the most trusting leaders always FIRST discern the consequences of their own actions on another.

Then they project those behaviors on to themselves with a greater sense of emotional intelligence.

Indeed the most trusting leaders FIRST see themselves IN the other person’s shoes — not stepping ON each other’s toes. After all, it takes two to dance the Tango of Trust.

Here’s a tool you can use to shine your dancing shoes, hone your collaborative spirit and generate the synergy to perform productively on your proverbial teeter-totter with others.

Consider purchasing a 280-page book that is available now on Amazon.com.

It is titled THINKING LIKE A LEADER.

That book on thinking like a leader is the first of three books in The Leadership Mints Series designed to help leaders refresh their feeling for leading with short stories (called Leadership Mints) you can grab ‘n go like a candy mint.

The two others books focus on leading with empathy LOVING LIKE A LEADER and leading with civility SPEAKING LIKE A LEADER.

Collaborating Nose-to-Nose

By Peter Jeff
The Leadership Mints Guy

Here’s an idea to help you increase your productivity. Reading time: 3:42

Two percheron horses were pulling a wagon load of people through an apple orchard on a sunny, crisp fall afternoon.

horses The driver of the horse-drawn wagon said that individually each horse could pull almost 3,000 pounds. But together they could pull 8,000 pounds, at least 33% more than they could pull individually.

The horses learned how to interact with each other, how to work with each other. They learned how to move like dancers in step with each other.

They learned to get ahead they had to stay head to head. In tandem. Nose to nose.

No wonder horses are more easily trained when they can touch noses with other horses. Nose to nose, they are more productive. Nose-to-nose, they are more attentive.

And no wonder that aligning talent nose-to-nose –collaborating -is a key leadership skill for increased productivity and performance. The most effective leaders know that collaborating in general increases speed, enhances power, builds strength and increases overall performance. Continue reading →

Drinking More Than Champagne From a Slipper

By Peter Jeff
The Leadership Mints Guy

Here’s an idea to bring out the best in your team. Reading time: 3:23.

The executive offered a champagne toast, sipping the bubbly out of one of her high heel shoes. Her staff was astounded as she playfully kicked off her shoe; reached into a box of new shoes; held one of the new patent leather shoes as if it were a glass and began pouring the champagne in it.

Maybe the strain of the highly stressful but successful project just completed had finally gotten the best of her.

“You are the best. You deserve more than a traditional toast for all the work you did in making this project a success.”

The executive had a method to her madness. She used the champagne-in-a-slipper toast as a leadership lesson that few ever have forgotten.

Turns out those fairy tale writers may have been on to something when they told of heroes drinking out of a slipper.

Scientists say the leather in the slipper accentuates the flavor and aroma of the champagne. The leather contains nitrogen which brings out the best flavor in the champagne.

That’s what leaders do. They bring out the best in others. They build teams two by two. It all begins with that first pairing, that first combination of talents that stirs the creative pot and brings out the best in each.

Savor some peanuts and chocolate together or German Beer and black radishes or a martini and an olive and you’ll taste the leadership difference -where protein taste agents bring out the best in the carbohydrates.

Continue reading →