Monthly Archives: September 2021

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5 Questions Leaders Should Ask

Leaders are comfortable asking questions. They know the more questions they ask, the better the answer will be.

Why, then, are so many leaders reluctant to ask questions? This reluctance to ask questions comes from our upbringing.

African American woman looking up, as if pondering something important

Photo by Tachina Lee

The older we got, the less comfortable people became with us asking questions.

That’s the opposite direction we should have gone. We should have been encouraged to ask questions. You should encourage those you lead to ask questions.

Today, we’re going to look at 5 questions leaders should ask.

5 Questions Leaders Should Ask

1. Why?

Why is a great question to ask. So often we go to other questions such as “How can we get this done?” or “When will we have time to accomplish this?”

Why is a different question? Why allows us to see the reasoning behind what we’re doing.  Read more...

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4 Ways on How to Cultivate a Positive Culture Within Businesses

This is a contributed post to JMLalonde.com. For more information on contributing a post, please see our contributing policies.

An organization’s culture is defined by the values, norms, and beliefs that are shared among its members. It creates a sense of unity and belonging within the company. A positive organizational culture fosters creativity, encourages innovation, strengthens performance, builds trust between employees and managers and customers or clients. Below are four ways on how to promote a positive organizational culture within your business:

1. Encourage Feedback

Employees are highly motivated when they feel that their opinions matter. Therefore, organizations should encourage feedback regardless of its form –whether through written surveys or more informal interactions with managers during one-on-one meetings. However, it is essential to note that employees need to know how and where they can give feedback without being afraid of negative consequences not to affect their productivity at work. Furthermore, supervisors also have an obligation to listen attentively whenever someone approaches them for dialogue about issues concerning the company’s culture.  Read more...

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Quotes And Leadership Lessons From Dynasty Warriors

I was a huge fan of the Playstation 2 video game Dynasty Warriors 2. Hearing that Netflix had released a movie based on the series, my interest was piqued. I was excited to watch a video game from my youth transition to a live-action movie.

Dynasty Warriors began with an epic battle. Sadly, it ended with a whimper. My desire for a massive, large-scale battle didn’t materialize. My wife even walked away from the movie.

Eekkk.

Still from Dynasty Warriors movie. Warrior in a heroic pose.

This doesn’t mean that there’s nothing to learn from the movie. There is. There is always something we can learn from a movie, even a movie we don’t enjoy.

Sadly, Dynasty Warriors was a movie I did not enjoy. Still, I painfully watched the 2-hour long movie so I could bring you the leadership lessons from Dynasty Warriors.

I hope you’re happy.

 Read more...

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What Do You Have To Offer?

Do you know what you have to offer? Have you even considered the possibility YOU have something to offer?

We all have something to offer. Not all of us are offering what we have.

The Gateway Church in Spring Lake, Mi picks an organization to support every year. Last year, we focused heavily on Team World Vision and bringing clean water to those in need.

This year, our focus has shifted. We’ve begun to lean in heavily and focus our efforts on garnering support for Project Rescue. Project Rescue is a great organization with a great mission.

They exist to rescue and restore victims of sexual slavery through the love and power of God.

That’s pretty awesome if you ask me.

For Team World Vision, we asked our congregation to move their feet to raise money for clean water. This year, we did something different. We empowered our people (youth and children included!) to do something impactful.  Read more...

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The Importance of Having a Mentor When You Are a Young Leader

Being a leader with big ideas and good people skills is a great start. However, having a person with more experience who can provide guidance, is the secret ingredient to your success. Here is why.

Do you ever feel stuck or losing focus? Have you ever struggled with solving an issue?

It is useful to have someone in your life who you trust and value their opinions. Listening to a well-versed person helps you make better decisions when you are unsure of yourself. An individual with an objective viewpoint can help you re-evaluate your problems and could direct you towards a solution.

Working with a mentor in your career makes a big difference when it comes to achieving your goals.

Mentoring can be part of a structured program or a more informal professional relationship. Whichever type of mentoring you choose you can only win.  Read more...