Lean Quote: 4 Reasons Why Optimists Are Better Leaders

On Fridays I will post a Lean related Quote. Throughout our lifetimes many people touch our lives and leave us with words of wisdom. These can both be a source of new learning and also a point to pause and reflect upon lessons we have learned. Within Lean active learning is an important aspect on this journey because without learning we can not improve.

"Optimism is a strategy for making a better future. Because unless you believe that the future can be better, you are unlikely to step up and take responsibility for making it so."   —  Noam Chomsky

All academic thought, science and philosophy on optimism confirms that a person who demonstrates the attitudes, beliefs and actions of an optimist will live longer, be happier and healthier than a person who does not. 

If you want to be good leader then become an Optimistic Leader. This will guarantee you the success of leadership you aspire to.

 

So Why Is It That Optimists Make Better Leaders? Optimists demonstrate the behaviors and attitudes that support good leadership. Listed below are the 8 reasons why optimists are better leaders. 

1. Optimists are Solution Focused 

Optimists want to solve problems and improve the situation they are in. They will always focus on finding a solution rather than analyzing the issues surrounding the problem. 

The solution-based approach that an optimist leader uses promotes creativity and innovative thinking. An optimist is quite comfortable thinking outside of the square; in fact that is where they are their happiest. 

The key questions an optimistic leader will ask when seeking a solution are: What is needed? (Not; what is wrong?). What it going well? (Not: what is going badly?). What practical progress can be made to work toward implementing the solution? How can we measure that the solution is working? 

2. Optimists Are Not Afraid Of Failure 

Optimists do better than pessimists because their coping strategies are better. They are more resilient and able to quickly “bounce back” from failure and setbacks in life. 

An optimist is a risk–taker and is comfortable making tough decisions. They accept the reality of failure and the possibility of making mistakes. An optimist will view failure or mistakes as an opportunity to learn and to make progress. They see failure and set backs in the workplace as a part of life. An optimistic leader is quick to respond and adapt to the situation at hand. They will want to get their teams moving forward and back on track as quickly as possible. 

Optimists do not seek scapegoats or play the blame game. If mistakes are made they will want to know what went wrong and what could be done differently to avoid making the same mistakes. 

3. Optimists Are Great Communicators 

Optimists get their energy from people. They are good at creating and keeping long-term relationships. Optimists are comfortable communicating and sharing their desires for a better future or for better solutions. 

Optimists understand the importance of engaging and motivating others. They have a commitment to succeed and will speak from the heart rather than using data, reports or research to back them up. To be a good leader you need to be a good communicator and effective at engaging others to share in your vision of the future. 

4. Optimists Have A Success Mindset 

Optimistic people always focus on the positive aspects of a situation. Their view of life is different to that of a pessimist. The analogy that is used to describe the difference is, that optimists see a glass of water as “half full” whereas a pessimist will see the glass of water as a “half empty”. 

An optimist has hope and a belief in a better future. They focus on opportunities instead of obstacles. They understand what motivates and inspires them to live a successful and fulfilled life. Negativity and fear do not belong in their world and in fact are inhibitors to their success in life. 

Research has shown that by having an optimistic view of life you are likely to have a more successful, happier and healthier life, than a person who has a pessimistic view of life. Leaders who are optimists have the ability to envision a better future and they are able to inspire and motivate people to work toward achieving that shared vision of success. 

An optimistic leader does not allow their people to wallow in the dark and difficult times. They encourage them to acknowledge the reality of the situation, to plan ahead, take action and work toward a better and more successful future. 

Leadership Lessons from St. Patrick

Do you know who St. Patrick was?

 

St. Patrick’s Day is an iconic holiday celebrated with parades, feasts and green beer. It celebrates the life and work of Ireland’s patron saint, St. Patrick. There are many legends and myths of St. Patrick and 17 centuries later, the legends continue to grow. 

What is believed to be true is that St. Patrick was captured by Irish raiders and forced into slavery. He escaped back to his home in Britain and later returned to Ireland as a successful missionary. 

Through a very challenging early life, Patrick became aware his strengths, weaknesses and values. He took time to listen to others and learned how to deliver his message in ways that the Irish people could understand. This strengthened his power of persuasion and ability to influence. Patrick developed the strategic foresight to understand what he wanted to achieve and regularly used conceptualization to help others see his vision, creating the Celtic cross and using the native shamrock to help the Irish people connect with his message. 

Patrick consistently demonstrated courage and strength by making difficult choices in crisis situations, recognizing his own limitations and engaging others to collaborate, and acting in the best interest for the community and the people committed to it. 

Patrick exercised humility and empathy, without which trust cannot be earned and people cannot be motivated to achieve necessary goals. 

Patrick valued relationships and built communities, bonding people together around shared purpose, vision and core values. 

Patrick learned from his circumstances, discovered what he valued and rose to meet the challenges of his time with vision, strength and perseverance. Fifteen hundred years later, he still offers a model for exceptional leadership. 

Guest Post: 6 Important Tips for Effective Logistic Management

Running a business comes with a lot of responsibilities such as supply chain management, dealing with manufacturers, delivering and shipping products. Logistic management is a detailed and complex procedure that takes care of all these things.

If you want to run a successful business and have satisfied customers, then you need to have a proper plan for logistics. In every business, there’s a proper sequence of how every operation works.

It starts with manufacturing products, distributing them and supplying, transporting them to designated warehouses, adding them to inventory, and finally getting them shipped to the customers. It can be a tricky and elaborate process which is why it’s important to handle it properly.

All businesses work with a proper rhythm, and if there’s a fallback in any step, the whole system can come crashing down. It’s essential to have effective logistic management so your business can run smoothly, and here are some important tips to keep in mind.

1.     Develop a Plan

In the business domain, the most important step is to formulate a proper plan that defines your goals as well. Without planning, you can’t accomplish anything, and you need rules and restrictions to run a smooth business.

Logistics is all about having a steady flow of your products, storage, and shipping them to relevant consumers. It’s a lengthy process that can’t be managed without a detailed plan. You need to create a plan that is going to help you carry out all the important tasks and deliver what you have promised.

An effective plan looks like this:

1. Manufacturing the products in the required quantity.
2. Moving the products to designated places.
3. Transporting all the goods at the right time.
4. Storing them in warehouses in the right condition.
5. Delivering them to the right outlets.
6. Shipping them to your customers in perfect shape.

Without the help of a plan, you will face a lot of hurdles, and your customers won’t be satisfied as it’s easier to damage the goods to deliver them to the wrong location during the entire process. Everything has to be checked twice, so there’s no disruption or delay in delivery.

2.     Hire a Logistics Manager

Your company is going to need a competent logistics manager to carry out your plan effectively. There needs to be someone in charge to keep everything under control and help carry out everything without any hassle.

Hiring a logistics manager with a great temperament will help keep things moving and deal with any issues that come up. The whole process of logistics can be quite stressful, so it’s important to have a manager who possesses great interpersonal skills to handle any employee issues and make necessary arrangements to keep the business working.

The right logistics manager will help a proper network of people that might come in handy in case of any emergency, and he will be well-equipped to come up with solutions. Any delay in procuring the goods can result in a huge loss to the company. Therefore, hiring the right person to handle any mishaps will prevent any losses.

3.     Adopt Automation

The world is a global village, and it’s only right to change accordingly. One of the most important steps of running effective logistics is to make sure everything is automated. Technology plays a major role in the success of every business nowadays. Hence, if you want to boost your efficiency, you need to automate your logistics process.

You can use reliable software to run an automated logistics process because it can keep you updated with every step of the process. You will be informed about the exact time and location of your goods and where they are going. It saves a lot of time and manual labor as you can use this system to ensure everything is going smoothly.

4.     Have a Contingency Plan

Having a contingency plan is an essential part of any logistics operation because no matter how well prepared you are, it’s good to always have a backup in case anything goes wrong. Logistics managers need to carefully follow the supply chain plan and be prepared to deal with any problems that might arise during the transportation or delivery of your goods.

A contingency plan will help keep your inventory in check as well; even if you successfully procured the goods, it’s important to keep a record of everything and make sure there are no losses. At times, there can be product shortages which can negatively affect sales. Thus, a backup will help overcome any issues.

For example, if you are managing the logistics of a service-based business like carpet cleaning Stevenage, you must have a contingency plan for shift timing, personal going on emergency leaves, backup cleaning vans, and so on to manage smooth operations.

5.     Warehouse and Transportation Management

Every business owner has to rely on different warehouses to store their products, and a huge part of your logistics operation relies on how well the goods are being stored. You need to have a proper facility that can take care of your goods in the meantime and effectively deliver it to the customers.

Managing the transportation process can be tricky because you need to make your every product is packed properly and that it reaches the right location in one piece. Any damage to the product can result in delays and customers’ not getting what they ordered, so transport needs to take the plan most shortly and securely possible.

6.     Adapt and Improvise

A logistics management process can be complicated, but the only way to make sure it stays effective is to keep a record of every data and run a thorough analysis. You will need to come up with different strategies and improvise if you need to deliver different kinds of products in good shape.

Another way to have an effective plan is to get feedback from every single operation you run and learn from your mistakes. You can create plans using all the data you have collected and analyze all the metrics to fix any flaws in your system.

Takeaway- Run a Successful Business Using Logistics Management

Logistics management is an important process, no matter what the size of your business is. You need to constantly adapt to new conditions and improve so your system can run without any problems. The supply chain process needs to be logical and well-organized, so your products can get to different locations at the right time and in the right shape.

These important tips will help you come up with a plan and tell you how to deal with any issues you might face. It’s all part of running a successful business and building brand loyalty.

Author Bio: 

Arslan Hassan is an electrical engineer with a passion for writing, designing, and anything tech-related. His educational background in the technical field has given him the edge to write on many topics. He occasionally writes blog articles for  Carpet Cleaning London 

Lean Quote: Leadership Isn’t A Matter Of Luck, It’s A Matter Of Skills And Planning

On Fridays I will post a Lean related Quote. Throughout our lifetimes many people touch our lives and leave us with words of wisdom. These can both be a source of new learning and also a point to pause and reflect upon lessons we have learned. Within Lean active learning is an important aspect on this journey because without learning we can not improve.

"Luck is where opportunity meets preparation."   —  Seneca

As St Patrick's Day approaches it often brings to mind the idea of "chance" and the meaning of Luck. The best definition I have found and believe to be true is below....

Luck is where opportunity meets preparation. Seneca

You’ve probably heard the expression, “Failing to plan is planning to fail.” It’s a powerful truth. Planning enables you to determine strategies and actions for achieving your vital goals. It also forces you to identify foreseeable obstacles. Importantly, planning isn’t just a one-off activity. To execute it well, you’ve got to become a disciplined planner, doing both master plans and daily planning. It’s common for us to make excuses to put off planning—we’re too tired, too stressed, too confused about where and when to start. If you’re noticing that you’re making excuses, make a commitment to stop this habit. Planning is a vital aspect of management that forms necessary direction for your leadership and organization. And it will boost the odds that you’ll get to where you want to go.

If you want your plan to work, you’ve got to do the work—it won’t just magically happen on its own. Identify and secure the resources (time, money, staff members, etc.) you need to make it possible. And then build in accountability for both yourself and all others aligned to the plan, using a proven accountability system to create performance measures and track progress. If your plan feels overwhelming, you can take small steps toward your goals or break bigger strategies and actions into more manageable activities. Point is, don’t just let your plan gather dust on some shelf. Make it a working document so to better execute against your goals and drive the results you want and need.

Great leaders don’t just teach about work. They offer life lessons and wisdom around topics like empathy, emotional intelligence, courage, and purpose. It’s imperative that you give people the right experiences to grow and learn. Sometimes team members may struggle, but it’s okay to push them to figure out what they need on their own.

We don’t know everything and in many cases, we need someone to teach us. Let’s focus on being intentional about planning and mentoring, so we’re not leaving leadership to luck. We must plan and mentor others to help them find their passions and achieve their goals.