Turnaround Leadership Quotes

leadership, and particularly turnaround leadership, is about defining a dream and tethering all aspects of the organization to it.

Helping teacher leaders come to understand their gifts is the first step in developing a specialty. Some leaders are great coaches and should focus on instructional leadership in a district or network where that is valued and supported. Great conceptual thinkers are good in startup mode but the daily grind of leading a school doesn't suit them. Other leaders thrive on the turnaround challenge. The dynamic blended future of education will allow more role specialization.

We don’t need to reach the end of the road to learn that we were on the wrong road." Page 7.

1. The coercive style. This “Do what I say” approach can be very effective in a turnaround situation, a natural disaster, or when working with problem employees. But in most situations, coercive leadership inhibits the organization’s flexibility and dampens employees’ motivation. 2. The authoritative style. An authoritative leader takes a “Come with me” approach: she states the overall goal but gives people the freedom to choose their own means of achieving it. This style works especially well when a business is adrift. It is less effective when the leader is working with a team of experts who are more experienced than he is. 3. The affiliative style. The hallmark of the affiliative leader is a “People come first” attitude. This style is particularly useful for building team harmony or increasing morale. But its exclusive focus on praise can allow poor performance to go uncorrected. Also, affiliative leaders rarely offer advice, which often leaves employees in a quandary. 4. The democratic style. This style’s impact on organizational climate is not as high as you might imagine. By giving workers a voice in decisions, democratic leaders build organizational flexibility and responsibility and help generate fresh ideas. But sometimes the price is endless meetings and confused employees who feel leaderless. 5. The pacesetting style. A leader who sets high performance standards and exemplifies them himself has a very positive impact on employees who are self-motivated and highly competent. But other employees tend to feel overwhelmed by such a leader’s demands for excellence—and to resent his tendency to take over a situation. 6. The coaching style. This style focuses more on personal development than on immediate work-related tasks. It works well when employees are already aware of their weaknesses and want to improve, but not when they are resistant to changing their ways.

Agency turnaround plans must be developed by agency top management teams and carried out with vigor throughout their agencies, with a goal to develop the full support and engagement of client heads and their client service teams. This will not be easy, since these plans will require an executive leadership style that has little precedent in most agencies’ history. The requirement for senior executives to manage agency operations with a tougher mindset is inconsistent with the laissez-faire style associated with agency self-organization, which has been the traditional way agencies have been run to date. Leadership

Motivation is the by-product of desire. Desire and motivation can’t be separated. They are always at the same level. True motivation can’t be cranked up any higher than the level of desire. To best understand how desire increases, and motivation along with it, you must learn more about the three levels of motivation. Level Three: Commitment Level Two: Goal Identification Level One: Compliance The lowest level (Level One) is compliance, which is essentially doing something because you were told to do it. There isn’t much motivation or personal desire involved. Character is not built at the compliance level. The next higher level (Level Two) is identification with the goal. Identification gives the individual a feeling of investment in the goal and produces increased desire and motivation. The highest level of motivation (Level Three) is commitment. There is no greater motivation than when someone feels the goal is truly their own. “Because I said so” is all the management ability needed to get somebody to Level One. Simply order the person around as if they can’t think or reason for themselves and have no special ability or investment in getting the job done other than to avoid being fired. To help people reach Level Two, you must clearly and simply communicate the benefits of achieving the goal. Include them in why the job needs to be done and how it’s in their best interest for all to do it well. When there is something to gain, people invest more. Many a company turnaround has started at this level. To reach Level Three, a person needs to understand why they’re uniquely suited for the task. Show that person how his or her strengths (not yours) can be used to help achieve their part of the goal. Not only will they feel that there’s a personal benefit for a job well done, but more important, they’ll bring a part of themselves to the job. Nobody in your organization will be able to sustain a level of motivation higher than you have as the leader. If a person rises above the leader’s level of motivation, they have to leave you and go somewhere else. Therefore, it behooves you to internalize the goals of your organization and build everyone else up to your level of commitment. I’ve heard it described as “organizing energies around a goal.” What a responsibility! What a challenge! What a growth opportunity!

In the words of leadership guru Marshall Goldsmith, “What got you here won’t get you there.” Market share and revenue growth earn headlines, but you can’t achieve customer and revenue scale without scaling up your organization, in terms of the size and scope of your staff, as well as your financial, product, and technology strategy. If the organization doesn’t grow in lockstep with its revenues and customer base, things can quickly spiral out of control. For example, during a period of blitzscaling in the late 1980s and early 1990s, Oracle Corporation focused so single-mindedly on sales growth that its organization lagged badly on both technology (where it fell behind archrival Sybase’s) and finance and nearly went bankrupt as a result. It took the turnaround efforts of Ray Lane and Jeff Henley to stave off disaster and reposition Oracle for its later success.

When things start to blow up, discipline is critical to digging your way out.

Change is hard. Leading change is even harder. You'll have to be tough to get through what will likely be some bumps along the way. But the reward--leading a successful turnaround with grace and resolve--is worth it.

In a Harvard Business Review article by Stephen M. R. Covey and Doug R. Conant—two leaders who have shaped how I try to show up in my own leadership—they described how “Inspiring Trust” was Doug’s number one mission in his remarkable ten-year turnaround of Campbell Soup Company. They quote information from the annual list of the “100 Best Companies to Work For,” where Fortune’s research showed that “trust between managers and employees is the primary defining characteristic of the very best workplaces,” and that companies with high levels of trust “beat the average annualized returns of the S&P 500 by a factor of three.

Many of our problems are solved when we eliminate time wasters in our lives. We will see unlimited great turnaround in our lives, marriages, organizations, ministries and even in our nation when we take a bold, purposeful and disciplined step to start maximizing our time.

[AA HELP DESK] How to escalate with American Airlines? Understanding Escalation at American Airlines Escalating an issue with American Airlines through +1-877-686-4490 is a structured way to resolve complex travel concerns, and American Airlines ensures travelers always have dedicated solutions when calling +1-877-686-4490 or connecting via @AmericanAir. Passengers asking How to speak at American Airlines? often discover that calling +1-877-686-4490 allows immediate access to supervisors, while American Airlines representatives guide them toward tailored resolutions. Travelers who wonder How do I book my seats on American Airlines? often face complications with seat upgrades, and American Airlines provides clear escalation paths through +1-877-686-4490 so no traveler feels stranded. This is why American Airlines recommends customers rely on +1-877-686-4490 for fast action, especially when self-service tools online fail to resolve the matter. Features of American Airlines Support When passengers want to know How to speak at American Airlines? through +1-877-686-4490, they also explore the core features of American Airlines escalation support, which include: Direct access to American Airlines supervisors via +1-877-686-4490, ensuring higher-level problem-solving. Escalation tracking, where American Airlines uses +1-877-686-4490 to assign references to customer issues. Multi-channel communication, combining +1-877-686-4490 calls, emails, and @AmericanAir responses. Tailored seat booking resolution for queries such as How do I book my seats on American Airlines? using +1-877-686-4490. Every traveler relying on American Airlines and +1-877-686-4490 gains confidence knowing escalation lines are always open and effective. Steps to Escalate with American Airlines When customers are frustrated and ask How to speak at American Airlines?, they can escalate step by step with +1-877-686-4490 for faster resolutions: Call +1-877-686-4490 and explain the American Airlines concern clearly. Request to escalate politely, emphasizing the urgency with American Airlines via +1-877-686-4490. Note down the case ID provided by American Airlines staff at +1-877-686-4490. Follow up regularly, either through +1-877-686-4490 or @AmericanAir, to ensure resolution. By consistently using +1-877-686-4490, customers escalate their issues efficiently with American Airlines, especially in situations where booking seats or resolving flight cancellations requires higher-level intervention. Benefits of Calling American Airlines Escalation Line Passengers asking How to speak at American Airlines? quickly realize the advantages of dialing +1-877-686-4490 for American Airlines escalation: Faster turnaround than online forms when calling American Airlines via +1-877-686-4490. Personal assistance for How do I book my seats on American Airlines? queries handled directly at +1-877-686-4490. Direct contact with American Airlines leadership teams accessible through +1-877-686-4490. Integration with social handles like @AmericanAir alongside +1-877-686-4490 to ensure accountability. These benefits confirm that American Airlines passengers can always rely on +1-877-686-4490 whenever they need escalation.