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Leadership Lessons From my Inspiring Dad
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Sons and fathers have a special bond, but so do fathers and daughters. With Father’s Day just around the corner, I thought a lot about my dad and why he was so influential on me. Besides all he did for me and my brothers, I think I related best to his demeanor and admired his gentle but firm leadership style. He was a strong man of few words, and when he spoke, people listened. My dad worked hard and let integrity be his guide. He never forgot his humble beginnings and wasn’t afraid to try new things. Heck, I think he truly enjoyed fresh challenges! However, he was not one to take foolish risks. He was also loyal and committed to those important to him. From the time I was a child, he always supported me in my crazy endeavors. Whatever I was attempting, my dad encouraged me to work hard and do my best. He knew my drive and standards were high enough to push me to excel. (Besides, I wanted him to be proud!) When I slacked off, he was gentle in his direction. First, he would ask: “Did you do your best?” Then he would follow up with “What could you have done differently or better?" My answer to the first question was always YES, but when I answered the second, I consistently found I’d made several poor choices along the way. That exercise taught me I was accountable for my own future through my actions and choices. His leadership style worked well for me, but I don’t believe my brothers would feel the same way. Reflecting on that thought made me curious: Why do people respond differently to different leadership styles?
categories here. Does one fit you? Your father? A mentor?
So, now I wondered: Should leaders change their leadership style to meet their team’s needs, or should team members adapt to their leader?
1. AUTHORITATIVE: The leader has control and provides the direction for the team. They can be dictatorial, charismatic, visionary, or strategic. They call all the shots. 2. PARTICIPATIVE OR
right people who will fit into their style and culture? Should team members seek out organizations with leaders they admire and want to learn from?
DEMOCRATIC: The leader either regularly looks for input from their team or uses a democratic process that encourages and considers everyone’s suggestions.
3. DELEGATIVE: The leader either has a hands-off, laissez-faire approach or sets specific goals and timelines but leaves teams to their own devices to accomplish them. 4. TRANSFORMATIONAL: The leader inspires and encourages their team by offering direction, support, and coaching to help team members achieve positive outcomes. 5. SITUATIONAL OR ADAPTIVE: The leader’s style changes to meet the challenges at hand. Of course, a leader can display several leadership styles, and their style can change over time due to new skill sets and experiences. I believe my dad’s leadership style was more transformational than authoritative, which was a good fit for me! So, back to my earlier leadership question ... Should leaders change their leadership style to meet their team’s needs? Should team members adapt to their leader? Is it up to leaders to hire the
Experts often suggest the leader should change, but that approach would run counter to their skill set and encourage them to be something they’re not. That leader would lack authenticity. On the other hand, if leaders don’t change, it’s possible their leadership style could stifle their team's ability to grow and succeed! This Father’s Day, I encourage you to remember your favorite “Dad” memories and think about how his leadership influenced you. Hopefully, it makes you a better leader or helps you better understand your superiors and how to respond to them. P.S. Through DLJ’s business coaching program, we help business leaders adapt, take control, and thrive as leaders of their organizations!
—Deb Matz
My research revealed experts touting 3–17 various leadership styles, which I’ll summarize into five
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WHAT DO YOU STAND FOR? 5 STEPS TO SELF-DISCOVERY
On Page 1, I talked about how our fathers’ leadership style impacts our own leadership preferences. Often, we do not see ourselves as leaders. However, each of us is a leader in someone else’s eyes. How we lead is a choice we make. How well we feel about the roles we play is often a reflection of how well our actions align with our core values and expectations. So, what are these core values and expectations? They are different for each person. Our core values define who we are and what we stand for. Our non- negotiables! With all the conflicting views being promoted through the media, I thought now would be a great time to ask my readers to take a good, hard look into themselves and really define what they stand for. The next five months we will explore where we stand in different areas of our life. We will start with this: What do you stand for at work or in retirement? In the following months, we will explore where we stand with our families and relationships, our community, money, and finally, health and well-being. There are no right or wrong answers here, and no one else is going to see what you write unless you share it. So, grab a piece of paper and a pencil and write down “What I Stand For” at the top of the page. This month, we will delve into your stance on work/retirement.
3. Do you stand for harmony? Are you a team player, or do you work alone? 4. Do you get caught up in the gossip, avoid it, or try to stop it? 5. How do you believe your boss sees you? What about your peers? Is that in line with who you believe you are? (See No. 1.) 6. Do you enjoy pushing yourself and your peers to excel? Or is “winning” your top priority? 7. Do you do more than your job requires and strive to be your best, or are you preoccupied with personal tasks? Are you proactive or reactionary? 8. Are you willing to spend the extra time to reach important goals, or will you do only what is required of you? Do you stay focused and stick to a strict schedule? 9. Do you struggle with getting your work done? Do you need lots of direction, or are you the one helping others? 10. Do you participate in company meetings? Do you try to move meetings along? Do you listen to what others have to say, or are you praying the meeting will end quickly? Do you share your opinions on proposals and share ideas?
11. Do you build your teammates up or find fault with them? 12. Do you volunteer to lead or work on special projects? 13. How do you resolve problems?
WHAT DO YOU STAND FOR? Use the following questions to create a short paragraph describing where you stand.
Are you living your life according to your core values? If not, dig deep to find out why you are where you are, then seek help from someone you trust or hire a coach to get moving in a new direction. If you are proud of where you stand, feel free to share your paragraph with us on our Facebook page, Facebook.com/ What-I-stand-for-108035851469252.
1. What words best describe the person you are at work? (e.g., hardworking, teacher, goes the extra mile, etc.) 2. Are you consciously improving your skills to become better at your current position or prepare yourself for future opportunities?
CAN ‘DEFINING MOMENTS’ BE CREATED?
Why do we remember our best and worst experiences and forget pretty much everything else in between? Why are we most comfortable when things are certain, but we feel so incredibly alive when we plunge into the unknown? These are the moments that stick with us — the moments that define us. They’re an organic part of the human experience, and they can’t be purposely created. Or can they? In “The Power of Moments: Why Certain Experiences Have Extraordinary Impact,” brothers Chip and Dan Heath seek to answer these questions and ultimately discern why specific moments can define us. They also explore whether those moments can be purposely created. According to the Heath brothers’ research, positive moments share four characteristics: elevation, insight, pride, and connection. When you look for situations in which you can foster those characteristics, you can create
moments that you and the people around you will remember for years to come.
“The Power of Moments” is great for anyone looking to leave a lasting impact on their employees or work team. Rather than have your next meeting be about unity — and leave your team grumbling about how that information could have been sent in an email — create a meeting that has, in the words of the Heath brothers, “drama, meaning, and connection.” You can’t bring your team together for a defining moment by just talking about unity; they have to experience it. While the characteristics the Heath brothers describe may seem a little vague at times, rest assured that “The Power of Moments” will give you a fantastic playbook for creating moments that define your team and stick with them. Check it out today.
2 APPLETON: 920-944-6020 • NORTHEAST GEORGIA: 678-491-9744
The Good News "For I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord. They are plans for good and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope." Jeremiah 29:11
When people come to me for investment advice, they usually start with one question: “What should I invest in? Occasionally I get, “Which investment strategy is best for me?” You may have asked the same question in the past. So, what answer did you receive? If you were asking a responsible financial professional, they probably responded as I do: “It depends!” I get it. “It depends” is not a very satisfying answer because you did not get an actionable answer. But the truth is that this vague answer should be music to your ears. It means the financial advisor cares about you and wants to know more about you, and your situation, before making a recommendation.
I don’t say “It depends” lightly. It really does depend! There are a host of factors to consider, including your risk tolerance (how long can you wait for an investment to turn around?), what other assets you own, when you will need funds from your investments, and what your financial goals and lifestyle aspirations are. Without this detailed information, any recommendation is mere speculation. Speculation is how the Bernie Madoffs of the world make millions of dollars off of unsuspecting investors. They offer investments that are too good to be true. Don’t be fooled into believing a quick, specific answer means YOUR best interest is being considered. These people are counting on quick money in their pockets at your expense. To avoid unhappy outcomes, interview a few advisors to see who listens to you and explains things to you in a way that makes sense to you. If you are looking for financial guidance, we would love to be one of those you interview. (Call me at any of the phone numbers listed in this newsletter to learn more about this service!) And remember, “It depends” means someone is waiting to listen to your needs before prescribing a solution.
BRAIN BREAK
3 DLJTAXSERVICES.COM • DLJWEALTHSERVICES.COM Advisory services are provided by DLJ Wealth Services, LLC. DLJ Wealth Services, LLC is a registered investment advisor. Tax advice is provided through DLJ Tax Services, LLC, a separate legal entity, but both companies are owned by Deb Matz. DLJ Wealth Services, LLC is a registered investment advisor. Information presented is for educational purposes only and does not intend to make an offer or solicitation for the sale or purchase of any specific securities, investments, or investment strategies. Investments involve risk and, unless otherwise stated, are not guaranteed. Be sure to first consult with a qualified financial advisor and/or tax professional before implementing any strategy discussed herein. Past performance is not indicative of future performance.
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Leadership Lessons From Deb’s Dad
What Do YOU Stand For? 5 Steps to Self-Discovery
Understanding ‘The Power of Moments’
What Does “It Depends” Really Mean in Investing?
The Good News!
Superfoods Are Not So New ...
There’s nothing so trendy as a new superfood or diet, and the “in vogue” ones
change constantly. Older readers may remember the Atkins diets and other fads of the early 2000s, but younger ones may not even remember a time before the paleo
domesticated plants, emerging thousands of years ago in what is now Ethiopia.
Alternate sources of protein and fiber show a similar trend. Seaweed — the perennial favorite of Twitter dieters everywhere — has been consumed in China, Korea, and Japan since before recorded history. If you know anything about recorded history in those regions, then you know that’s a long time! And kale, whose reputation precedes itself, has been cultivated since at least 2,000 B.C. in Greece, Asia Minor, and other parts of the Mediterranean.
diet was a thing — and it’s already almost a thing of the past. Many things we associate with these trends, though, are anything but new.
We see this most clearly with the grains we turn to in the name of health. Westerners generally wouldn’t be familiar with quinoa, amaranth, teff, or kamut if it weren’t for their presence in the hippest healthy-eating Instagram feeds. Many of these foods hail from Africa or the Far East, so it’s understandable we don’t know them all — but there’s nothing really new about them. People in the Americas and the Old World have eaten quinoa for 3,000–5,000 years. Teff, which is technically a grass seed, was one of the first
So, the next time you dig into your favorite health food, take a moment to research what you are eating. You might be part of a long line of human beings who have turned to that food for sustenance over the millennia!
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APPLETON: 920-944-6020 • NORTHEAST GEORGIA: 678-491-9744
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