Don't Let Your Subject Line Kill Your Message

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Here in 2009, there are still some students who use email. Or at least the schools they attend still use it.

One of the quickest ways to get people to ignore your message on my campus is to begin the subject of an email with two words: Message Board.

The subject line of your email is the only thing you have to persuade someone to open that message up and read it. You've spent all of this time crafting a message that needs to get out and then you slap a generic subject line on it. Yawn...

It's time to stand up and be noticed. Don't let your email slide into oblivion without having anyone even glance at it. Try some of these suggestions the next time you have to use good, old-fashioned email to communicate...

1. Put your message in your subject line.

2. Put emotion in your subject line. Use strong words like "Exciting, Super, Powerful, Dynamic, Awe-Inspiring, etc"

3. Tell people what they'll get out of your message if they read it. For example, "You don't want to miss out on this opportunity" or " You won't be able to keep this to yourself"

4. Read the headlines on the magazines at the grocery store checkout. They all have a way of grabbing people's attention. Don't copy them word for word (it won't make sense), but watch how they word things.

5. Use characters, other than letters in your subject line. Something like: [+++This is your subject+++].

I think the best suggestion is to simply put as much information as you can, in a creative way, in the subject line of your email. As more and more students are moving away from email and moving toward Facebook and texting, you'll only have a limited chance to get people's attention.

Do You Recognize Any Of These Signs?

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The Dumb Little Man blog has an excellent article on 7 Signs Of A Leader, which he entitles a "must read."

Guest author, Mr. SelfDevelopment, writes the following at the start of the article...

We all need leaders in our lives: mentors, people to look up to, people that simply get it. Leaders inspire us, help us accomplish our dreams, and teach by example. Leaders make us better people and give us an ideal to strive for.

The measure of leadership is always influence; leaders have an amazing ability to influence our lives. Leaders lead wherever they go; they lead at work, at home, or wherever they happen to be.

So after that intro, it's easy to conclude that being a leader is not an easy task; it requires a collection of very important skills that have to be ingrained into your daily practice - your soul.

Check out all 7 Signs: Vision, Discipline, Emotional Strength, Experience, Respect, People Skills, and Momentum & Timing. Read the article in it's entirety here.

Do you possess any of these signs in your leadership? Are there other signs that you would add to the list?

Studentlinc Core Leadership Training - New Book Form

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Soon! Soon! Soon!

Great news for those of you looking to put practical, easy-to-use student leadership training in the hands of your students. I've recently re-written and re-formatted the Studentlinc Core Leadership Training into an actual book!

The lessons are currently available as a PDF download. But this new format will make it easier for you to work through the lessons with your students. The lessons have also been edited to speak directly to student leaders instead of those who work with student leaders.

The other exciting news is that these books will be made available at a lower cost than the current PDF download. I want to make it easier for you to get as many copies as you need for each of your student leaders. Imagine putting a resource in their hand that you can work through with them for an entire student leadership year.

Stay tuned for more information within the next week about how you can order this resource for your own student leadership development program.

They Can See Your Weakness

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When I got married, something crazy happened.

All of the ways I was relationally-challenged (self-esteem, anger, critical, selfish, etc) became obvious.

I had done such a good job of being on my best behavior during the dating phase of my relationship. It wasn't that I was trying to be inauthentic or be someone I wasn't. It's just that after a period of time, when you let your natural self come through, you start to show the cracks in your own cement.

Marriage exposed my weaknesses in relationships because it was the most intense of all relationships.

I think the same is true when you and I aspire to be a leader. When we campaign or interview or step through the hoops to serve in a leadership position, we tend to try and show what's great about us. We demonstrate how our strengths will be an asset and our weaknesses are actually thinly-veiled strengths that we simply haven't tapped into properly (example: I'm inpatient because I want the team to always strive for excellence).

You Don't Have To Be Out Front To Lead

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I went to see my daughter perform in the musical, Jungle Book, over the weekend.

Of course I'm so proud of her. She is typically quite shy and not comfortable on a stage. Yet there she was, dancing, singing, even saying a line or two. It was a fun performance.

As I looked around there was one person who was visibly absent - the director.

I kept looking around during the first half-hour of the show trying to spot him in the crowd or at the sound booth. Didn't see him anywhere.

I finally spotted him way back in the corner of the auditorium. He was sitting there enjoying the show along with everyone else. I thought to myself, "He must have a lot of confidence in the kids and the crew backstage to simply be sitting in the back as a spectator."

Relevant Leadership #6

Share Relevant Leadership = Relevant Presence
By Kenton Lee

What happens when people say “The boss is coming!”? Usually, employees stop doing what they are doing and start working. They are nervous when the boss is around. They aren’t themselves. Employees act differently when they are in the presence of their superior.

So what would a relevant presence look like? Relevant presence is completely different than the common perception of what happens when the boss is around. Relevant presence is a kind of presence that people desire; people actually want you to be around. It is the presence that brings inspiration and motivation. It is the kind of presence that encourages and guides.

Hit The Nail With Your Head

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If you don't read Seth Godin's blog...you're missing out.

I can describe it in one word: Really Good!

Just read this post about "hammers." You should too.

Maybe it's time for a new hammer...

One study found that when confronted with a patient with back pain, surgeons prescribed surgery, physical therapists thought that therapy was indicated and yes, acupuncturists were sure needles were the answer. Across the entire universe of patients, the single largest indicator of treatment wasn't symptoms or patient background, it was the background of the doctor.

Read the post in it's entirety: Hammer Time

Relevant Leadership #5

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Relevant Leadership = Relevant Success
By Kenton Lee

Success. That’s what it’s all about, right? Everything we do – all of our efforts, resources, time, and energy – all goes to ensuring success. But what is success? And, more appropriately, what does success look like in today’s society? What is relevant success?

Relevant success is different than you might expect, but it makes sense. Relevant success is all the people around you and the people attached to your mission. True success is all about people.

A leader could run their team into the ground trying to make money. A person could backstab and ignore others and lie and cheat and steal to get to the top. Organizations can lose sight of everything else in hopes of achieving a goal.

But what really matters?

In the end, the only thing that matters is people. Gaining money while ignoring relationships is not success. Achieving goals at the expense of hurting or ignoring people or damaging the opportunities for a good and full life is not success. The beginning and the end of relevant success is all about people.

Relevant leaders seek relevant success – and that success is centered on people.

Impact on People is the Highest Success

What is the highest pinnacle of success for you?
How do you measure your success?
What kind of success do you seek?

What is success for you?

__________________________________________

Kenton Lee works with student leaders on a daily basis and is committed to helping them be relevant in all areas of life. Got a question for Kenton? Email him.

Let's Be Clear About One Thing...

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The latest edition of the Leading Effectively E-Newsletter from the Center for Creative Leadership arrived in my inbox today. I highly recommend it if you do not subscribe. The CCL provides a wide array of resources and tools to help you in your leadership development.

This month's E-newsletter contained an article that caught my attention. I have cited a portion of it here:

Clarity in Conflict: A Simple Formula

Conflict — any conflict — can be traced back to one of five root causes. And, without knowing what the conflict is really about, resolution is impossible.

"Whether a conflict is personal, business, social or geopolitical, it stems from different views of facts, methods, goals, values or behaviors," says CCL's Harold Scharlatt.

Behaviors. Conflict, of course, can be caused when one person behaves in a way that another person finds unacceptable. Often, generalized and ongoing conflict sets in around behaviors - people often call this a "personality conflict." For example, one of your direct reports has difficulty working with another. One is gregarious, quick to speak and very animated. The other is low-key, deliberate and reserved. They agree the conflict is just because they have such different personalities.

"It isn't helpful to focus on personality in a conflict situation," says Scharlatt. "Instead, hone in on specific behaviors: "He interrupts me in meetings." "She takes too long to make a decision." "He is so loud on the phone." "She doesn't share information I need."

You won't be able to change personalities, but people in conflict can agree to change behaviors or take specific actions.

Facts. The simplest cause of conflict is a difference over facts. Information can be gathered or clarified so that people can agree based on the facts. Of course, in many situations the facts people use for their arguments are debatable (which means the conflict is really about something else).

Methods. Conflict about methods is the next easiest to resolve. People may disagree on how to proceed, even if they agree on the facts and share the same goals. For instance, some in a department may prefer to keep using the current software system; others may argue that new software would be more efficient.

Goals. Without shared agreement about the purpose or outcome of the work among the people involved, conflict is inevitable. Bickering over behavior, facts or methods may mask a disagreement about the goal. Efforts can be made to communicate information, address concerns or persuade, but if the division remains too great, people will eventually leave the situation.

Values. Not surprisingly, differences over values are the most difficult to resolve. When conflict is over deeply held values, finding compromise or even acceptable next steps is a challenge. Agreeing to disagree is often an acceptable solution. If you do aim to shift values, understand that you are taking on a tough, if not impossible, task.

Once you have clarified the root cause or causes with the people involved, you can move ahead more productively. Scharlatt's suggestions:

• Clarify where you agree. Identify common ground or solutions that are easy for someone to take. This creates productive action and positive feeling before delving into the tougher disagreements.
• Take a problem-solving approach. Be future-focused and avoid blaming. Ask "what if" and open-ended questions as a way to generate possible solutions.
• Agree upon specific next steps. The conflict won't disappear, but with a step-by-step approach, improvement can be made.

To read the remainder of the article, go here.

To subscribe to the CCL E-Newsletter, Leading Effectively, go here.

Relevant Leadership #4

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Relevant Leadership = Relevant Relationships
By Kenton Lee

Relationships are the foundation of leadership. You cannot do anything without relationships, and you can do everything with relationships. People communicate better when there is a relationship. People are better motivated to achieve goals and missions through relationships. People respond better in difficult situations when there is a relationship. Basically, every area of leadership is better with relationships. So how do you have a relevant relationship with the people around you?

Relevant relationships begin with the understanding that they are all about other people. There cannot be a relevant relationship that is built on selfishness and “what I can get out of it”. A relevant relationship is centered on the other person. There are four key pieces to the puzzle of any relevant relationship with the people around you.

First, there must be authenticity. Authenticity breeds authenticity – and nobody wants a leader who is aloof and fake.

Second, relevant relationships must have availability. Leaders need to be available to the people around them for their times of crisis and times of need especially.

Third, a relevant relationship is built upon listening. Sometimes leaders need to simply sit down and listen for a while. 

Finally, the glue that holds a relevant relationship together is caring. Even if a leader does not have the best interpersonal skills, they will have a life full of relevant relationships if they simply care about the people around them. 

What’s the Recipe for Relevant RELATIONSHIPS

Authenticity + Availability + Listening + Caring = Relevant Relationship Soup

Relevant relationships are all about other people…. Who are your relationships all about?

Relevant relationships gain impact when leaders truly care….. Do you truly care about the people around you?

Relevant relationships take effort, intentionality, and time….. Are you willing to work hard for relevant relationships?
__________________________________________

Kenton Lee works with student leaders on a daily basis and is committed to helping them be relevant in all areas of life. Got a question for Kenton? Email him.