The top ten BEST ways to lose your leadership credibility on homecoming weekend

Happy eve of homecoming eve everyone! In honour of homecoming (for many schools) this weekend, I would like to share my version of a David Letterman top ten (please picture me gap-toothed ... not very hard for those who knew me pre-braces ... as a pre-teen, you could've driven a truck through the space between my front teeth).

Now, as I know that most people will be indulging in a few sodas, let's talk about all of the things that we can do to lose our leadership credibility this weekend and, well, any time we are off the clock.

10. Be THAT guy. At any event - be it homecoming, the office holiday party, your nephew's bar mitzvah -there is always ONE guy that everyone talks about the next day. If you want to lose your leadership credibility, be THAT guy. Put the proverbial lampshade on your head. Break everything in sight. Do NOT hold back.

9. Be awful at small talk. Listen carefully ... this is essential if you want to kick your credibility to the ground. As you will be reuniting with a lot half-friends-half-acquaintances-half-people-you-don't-recognize-but-probably-made-out-with this weekend, make sure that you suck at small talk. Avoid being excited to see them, asking them about their life, or even better, pretend you don't remember them. This will definitely knock your credibility down a few notches. Do everything in your power to shave a few people off your network ... I mean seriously, networking is for idiots anyways... right?

8. Yell profanities. A sure-shot way to toss your reputation in the gutter is by having a potty mouth. The football game is a perfect location to let your terrible tongue loose ... particularly when yelling at the other team. Don't hold back, those varsity athletes who are probably fitter, smarter and better looking than you DEFINITELY deserve it.

7. Talk to as many university staff members as possible. If swearing like a sailor didn't do it, this definitely will. Make sure you've played an unreasonable amount of flip cup, then approach as many university staff members as you can find and tell them about all of your ideas to improve your alma mater ... starting with your GENIUS idea about replacing all classes with a school-wide, year-long beer pong tournament.

 6. Take your pants off.

5. Or, alternatively - Rip your pants right in the crotch area, and then keep them on.

4. Get stopped by campus police or, even better, regional police. Nothing says "I'm a tool and no one should ever hire me" like getting into it with an officer of the law. Extra points if you hit on them in the process.

3. Be the reason why people are chanting something disgusting. For example, "EAT-THE-POOP! EAT-THE-POOP". This one needs no explanation.

2. Misplace your shoes before noon.

And .... the number one BEST way to lose your credibility on homecoming weekend isssss...

1. Fall asleep in public. Extra deductions go to anyone who does so prior to sundown.

So there it is, the top ten ways to lose every ounce of dignity you have in a matter of 2 days. Please do not do any of these things this weekend and ... Please, for the sake of your future, think twice before you eat the poop.

Happy homecoming!

"It takes twenty years to build a reputation and five minutes to ruin it. If you think about that, you'll do things differently." - Warren Buffett

The Theories Series Vol 2: Doing dishes with the Leadership Challenge

Welcome back to the Theories Series (eries-eries-eries). Today we're going to tackle the Leadership Challenge, a 5-pronged leadership approach (the 5 practices of exemplary leadership) that is based on the Leadership Practices Inventory (LPI). The LPI was compiled by this theory's creators, Kouzes and Posner, who surveyed a LOT of people and asked which were the top seven traits that they look for in a leader, admire in a leader, and ultimately, would follow a leader for.


Now, I could list these 5 practices, provide you with a powerpoint presentation and ask that you take notes and fill in the blanks ... but instead, like that awesome fourth grade supply teacher that let you watch Rudy for the whole class, I'm throwing out the lesson plan.

We are going to talk about dating. More specifically, about dating someone who is messy. Disclaimer: I am not a dating expert. Trust me. Please do not take any of this as dating advice.

Also, I apologize to the messy people out there but honestly ... why do you hate doing dishes so much?

I digress, today we are going to discuss how to get your counterpart to do the dishes ... inception style.

Step 1: LOVE doing the dishes. Now, this may seem counter-intuitive, but the most important first step in getting down to the dream within a dream within a dream within a dream level is to Model the way. You need to do the hell out of those dishes. If you want your significant oth to do them right after dinner, do them right after dinner ... dance around, splash bubbles, make it like a Christina Aguilera video if you have to. Do whatever you need to do to show that you love doing the dishes (almost) more than you love your partner.

Step 2: Share the possibility of one day, living in a filth-free house ... say things like, "That's the world that, some day, we can live in." This step is called Inspire a shared vision. Now that you have shown how wonderful it is to do the dishes, you must share your vision and reasoning behind this love of an empty sink. The most important part of this step is to share the "whys" ... your dish-dirtying partner must understand WHY we should do the dishes soon after they are soiled, and it's got to mean something to them. For example, if they hate getting sick, explain why leaving crusty food in the sink spreads bacteria and makes us sick.

Step 3: This step is the trickiest. In this step, you need to give up some of your power ... don't worry, we can do this together, I have control issues and this step is very difficult for me too. You must Challenge the process. Ask your partner (nicely) if they have any suggestions about how to improve the dish-doing process... "Heyyy love-bug, do you think there's a way that we can do the dishes more efficiently? I would love to hear your suggestions... did I mention that your face is perfect and you smell like rain?" Try new things, don't be afraid to fail and always, always try them together.

Step 4:  Trying it as a team is the first stage of this next step ... Enable others to act. You must understand that, as a seasoned veteran of the dish-cleaning consortium, you are extremely good at it. Your partner may not be able to make doing the dishes look like an episode of 24 in fast-forward. Try doing the dishes together, teach them ways to do them more quickly, and then empower them to do dishes on their own. Build your partner's confidence, congratulate then when it's done well... challenge them! "Poo bear, why don't you hop up and do the dishes during this commercial break of 24? Wow, you totally look like a hotter version Jack Bauer up there at the sink!" etc. etc.

Step 5: This is the last and final step ... and arguably the most crucial one if you really want to bury the dish-doing desire in the deepest stores of your partner's dreams: Encourage the heart. Be sincere and caring (I'm sure you always are, so this is just a gentle reminder). Hide your filthy-sink frustrations and encourage them. Celebrate their successes and value their contributions to your vision of a world with clean, sparkling dishes drying on the dish rack.

So, there it is ... 5 steps to a dirty-dish-free kitchen, and the specifics of the Leadership Challenge theory. This belongs on Pinterest in the DIY section.

And, to change things up a bit ... hah ... here's a quote from the Leadership Challenge book (read it if you get a chance!),

“Leadership is a relationship between those who aspire *you* and those who choose to follow *your partner*… A leader-constituent relationship that’s characterized by fear and distrust will never, ever produce anything of lasting value. A relationship characterized by mutual respect and confidence will overcome the greatest adversities and leave a legacy [of clean dishes].” - The Leadership Challenge

The theories series volume 1: Situational leadership would you rather.

As previously announced via S Club 7 references (sidebar: S Club 7 is now following me on Twitter because of that last post... it's okay to be jealous), this week I am beginning the first volume of the Theories Series in order to make leadership theories make sense.

Volume 1: We will begin the series by talking about the ever-quoted Situational Leadership Theory. Originally "coined" by Paul Hersey and Ken Blanchard in the swingin seventies, the SLM dictates that there is no single "best" style of leadership. And thus, the most successful leaders are those who can adapt their style to the ever-changing environmental conditions that surround them. Furthermore, the theory rests on two fundamental concepts: leadership style and the "maturity level" of any given group/individual that is being led.

Now, at it's core, this theory seems quite simple. But, once we begin to unpack the different leadership styles and what a "maturity level" entails (no, unfortunately they are not talking about people who laugh hysterically at fart jokes vs. people who don't appreciate potty humour) things can become convoluted.

So instead of boring you all to tears with technical leadership babble and too many "et. al"s to count, we are going to play a game of Would You Rather. Here we go...

You are Lliam Neeson's daughter in the movie Taken. You are young, inexperienced, and very naive. Several large, hideous men have just broken into your apartment in France...

WOULD YOU RATHER ... 1) Papa Lliam phones you and asks you how you are feeling, supports you through these emotions and then works with you to decide your course of action together; OR 2) Papa Lliam says "Listen to me. You are going to be taken. I need you to do the following things and focus..."

The first option is the "Participating" leadership style and is often effective if the group or individual at the "Capable but Unwilling" maturity level. The group/individuals need guidance and support in order to take responsibility for the completion of their task. The second option (your choice, I assume), is an example of the "Telling" leadership style, paired with the "Unable and Insecure" maturity level. This style is most used in situations where the group or individuals being led lack necessary skills or are unable to complete the task at hand.

Okay ... next one - You are a good public speaker who has being speaking in front of groups for years. You are ready to take your career to the next level and seek out an experienced motivational speaker to help you progress.

WOULD YOU RATHER... 1) Your new leader listens to every presentation that you deliver, then sits you down and explains to you all the things you could do to improve, OR 2) Your new leader focuses on getting to know you and where your confidence comes from, helps you build a network and leads you to find the best ways to deliver your message.

The first option demonstrates the "Selling" leadership style, often most effective with the "Unable and Willing" level of maturity, which focuses on providing direction and support to enthusiastic learners. The second option (more favourable here), is an example of the "Delegating" style of leadership as it allows the "Capable and Confident" individual to take responsibility for their growth while being supported by their leader along the way.

Hopefully, the above examples have shown you the different situational leadership styles - Telling, Selling, Participating and Delegating in action and how they interact with the different maturity levels - Unable but insecure, Unable and willing, Capable but unwilling, Capable and confident. Another important thing to note is that, depending on the task, an individual or group can have a different level of maturity. It all depends on the SITUATION at hand.

So, next time you find yourself in any situation that calls upon your leadership ... think of what your team member would rather given their task-specific abilities and needs, instead of choosing your leadership approach based on your own abilities and needs ... you'll be surprised by what you come up with.

And, as always, I will leave you with a quote that sums up this theory in a wonderful way ...

"We cannot direct the wind, but we can adjust our sails." - Bertha Calloway

Introducing... The Theories Series

Good afternoon fellow leaders! I hope that you had a riveting weekend and are already off to a good start by kicking serious leadership ass this week ...

Ladies and gentlemen, can I have your attention? I have just been handed an urgent and horrifying news story and I need all of you to pay attention: There are 6 million leadership theories out there and most sound like an S Club 7 song montage ... don't believe me? Check out these vids:

Believe me now? (if not, please also refer to "Gonna Change the World")

I digress, since leadership theories can be very daunting in their breadth and depth, I am launching the SYTYC-lead THEORIES SERIES (eries-eries-eries).

Stay tuned for this week's first post that will make the Situational Leadership model make sense, with very sparing use of S Club 7's lyrical genius.

"Don't stop, never give up, hold your head high and reach the top. When the world seems to get too tough, bring it all back to you." - The 'genius' who wrote S Club 7's music.

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Passion poutine: the fries, curds and gravy of leadership.

In honour of the grand opening of Smoke's Poutinerie in Waterloo, I decided to delve a little deeper into what makes this food so delightful ... and why throngs of people young and old are taking the plunge into this world of savoury lunchtime goodness and afternoon office-comas.

What is so great about poutine? And what does it have to do with effective leadership? (Keep in mind that I'm talking about REAL poutine, not the mushy brown slop that they serve you at fast food joins ... yeah Burger King, I'm talkin' to YOU). 

Let's eat ...

The fries: Fresh, but familiar. Crisp, yet soft on the inside. Warm, but not so hot that they disintegrate the very structure of your mouth... well, at least if you're patient. Being an effective leader is not so different from this sturdy vehicle that escorts curds and gravy to the exclusive parties hosted by our post-bar taste buds.

As a leader, you must bring forth fresh and new ideas ... yet ensure that these ideas don't rock the boat so much that they cause fear and distrust. You must also have a tough, crisp exterior when needed, but a soft, compassionate heart to back it up. And lastly, you must be just the right temperature to keep your team close without pushing them away.

Now, what about the toppings?

The curds: Unique, but strong. An acquired taste, but widely loved. Different, yet familiar.

As a leader, being different is essential ... but you must delicately walk the line between being so unique that you're one double-joint away from Cirque de Soleil and being so generic that people mistake you for Keanu Reeves. Cheese curds are different, but we can still identify with them as a unique subset of the familiar, wonderful world of dairy. Be unique, blaze your own trail ... just be sure to blaze one that others can also follow.

And lastly ...

The gravy: The pièce de résistance (yes, I still remember that ALT+130 makes a french accent). Rich, smooth, creamy. The delicate glue that holds the dish together. Too much of it, and you end up with chunky soup that is the temperature of the sun. Not enough of it, and the cheese curds don't warm up, leaving you with cold, squeaky cheese and exposed fries.

As a leader, your actions and words are the glue that holds the team together. You must work to bind people to each other in a meaningful way, all while walking the tight rope between too much and too little. If you provide too much direction, you will drench individuality and create a soupy mess of "yes" people. But, if you provide too little direction you will have a cardboard container full of people that don't mesh and can't deliver a cohesive, well-balanced product.

As you can see, the poutine of leadership is a very delicate mix of tough and soft, unique yet familiar and just enough direction to bring it all together into a delectable finished product that caters to the masses.

So, take a minute to identify the components of your passion poutine as a leader and think about how you can put a dish on the table that delights even the toughest of critics.

"There is no passion to be found in playing small - in settling for a life that is less than the one you are capable of living" - Nelson Mandela