This is so foolish, he explains.  Instead, Stahl-Wert recommends that leaders “Look at ways to raise up the people capability, not try to pressure productivity.”

Stahl-Wert is one of 40 thought leaders who will be joining Ken Blanchard for a Doing Still More With Less Leadership Livecast on April 24.  A free event, this online webcast will bring together thought leaders, via video, to look at ways to engage and support people while meeting the increased performance demands of the current business environment.

Charlene Li, author, consultant, and founder of Altimeter Group who will be joining Stahl-Wert as a part of the webcast says that identifying the vital, critical work that will get you and your organization the results you are looking for is the first step.

“In order to get more done, you actually have to do fewer things, but very crucially, the most important things—and just as essential, make sure all the people around you understand what it is you will do and also what you won’t do.”

Jane Perdue, a principal with Braithwaite Innovation Group suggests that leaders begin by asking themselves some key questions.

“Are we doing the right work, with the right people, in the right way, at the right time, in the right pursuit of company initiatives, and are we using the right information and the right tools to make it so?”

Find a minute to reflect

For leaders looking to reexamine their own work, Ken Blanchard recommends taking a minute to reflect and get organized.

“The reality today is that leaders have to find quiet time to think through what’s really important to do. Today more than ever, you have to identify the 20 percent that is going to give you the 80 percent. You have to find out what is vital when you’re looking at everything you have to accomplish. In order to do more with less, you have to focus your energy on the work that is the most important.

“The next step is to prioritize that work and turn it into measureable goals. Identify three to five things you can get done on a consistent basis. Get your life organized so you can focus and help others organize their lives.”

“Doing more with less means that managers and their people have to be partners. It can’t be ‘my way or the highway,’” says Blanchard. “You have to empower your people. Micromanaging is a thing of the past. Managers can’t be on top of everything.”

There is a silver lining though, explains Blanchard.

“The good news is that if handled correctly, these tough times can actually lead to increased employee motivation. If leaders can create more autonomy by giving their people what they need when they need it, building competency and stronger relationships along the way, they will increase employees’ sense of well-being and overall performance.”

You can read more about what Blanchard and other key thought leaders have to say in this new article from Blanchard’s Ignite newsletter. To learn more specifically about the free April 24 webcast, Doing Still More With Less, check out this link.

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Join trust expert Randy Conley for a complimentary webinar and online chat beginning today at 9:00 a.m. Pacific Time (12:00 noon Eastern).

In a special presentation on Building Trust: 3 Keys to Becoming a More Trustworthy Leader, Conley will be exploring how leaders can improve the levels of trust in their organization by identifying potential gaps that trip up even the best of leaders.

Participants will learn:

• How to get it right on the inside first
• The 4 leadership behaviors that build or destroy trust
• The 3 keys to creating trusting relationships

The webinar is free and seats are still available if you would like to join over 500 people expected to participate.

Immediately after the webinar, Randy will be answering follow-up questions here at LeaderChat for about 30 minutes.  To participate in the follow-up discussion, use these simple instructions.

Instructions for Participating in the Online Chat

• Click on the LEAVE A COMMENT link above
• Type in your question
• Push SUBMIT COMMENT

It’s as easy as that!  Randy will answer as many questions as possible in the order they are received.  Be sure to press F5 to refresh your screen occasionally to see the latest responses.

We hope you can join us later today for this special complimentary event courtesy of Cisco WebEx and The Ken Blanchard Companies.  Click here for more information on participating.

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Join best-selling business author Susan Fowler for a complimentary webinar and online chat beginning today at 9:00 a.m. Pacific Time (12:00 noon Eastern).

In a special presentation on A Closer Look at the New Science of Motivation Fowler will be sharing some of the research underlying Blanchard’s new Optimal Motivation program and workshops.  Participants will explore three basic psychological needs—Autonomy, Relatedness, and Competence—and the skills needed to reach a high quality of self-regulation. The webinar is free and seats are still available if you would like to join over 700 people expected to participate.

Immediately after the webinar, Susan will be answering follow-up questions here at LeaderChat for about 30 minutes.  To participate in the follow-up discussion, use these simple instructions.

Instructions for Participating in the Online Chat

• Click on the LEAVE A COMMENT link above
• Type in your question
• Push SUBMIT COMMENT

It’s as easy as that!  Susan will answer as many questions as possible in the order they are received.  Be sure to press F5 to refresh your screen occasionally to see the latest responses.

We hope you can join us later today for this special complimentary event courtesy of Cisco WebEx and The Ken Blanchard Companies.  Click here for more information on participating.

Innovation also requires collaboration.  Very few ideas can be successfully implemented without the cooperation and buy-in of others.  Unfortunately, innovators often struggle in this area–especially if they fall in love with their idea and become defensive about feedback.

In an upcoming Leadership Livecast on Un-Leaderlike Moments I share a story about the way this sneaks up on unsuspecting innovators.  See if this has ever happened to you.

The birth of an idea

You come up with an idea—it’s one of your best ideas—and you can’t wait to share it with the other people on your team. So you do. And you know what? They’re just as excited about it as you are. You decide to go in together and make this idea a reality.

But soon after, something you didn’t plan on starts to occur. Your teammates like your original concept, but they have some thoughts for making it better.  They begin to share their thinking and give you some feedback.  How do you react?

Dealing with feedback–two typical paths

If you are an experienced innovator, you take some time to really listen to what your team is sharing with you.  You explore what they are saying, you ask for details, and you draw out the essence of their ideas.  You realize that no matter how good your original idea may be, it’s always smart to treat feedback as a gift and to listen closely with the intention of being influenced.

If you are a relatively new innovator—and you are really attached to your idea—you may see feedback from your team in a completely different light.  Ego can often get in the way and now you become defensive when others suggest changes.  You dismiss their feedback as uninformed, uninspired, or just plain limiting. Instead of listening with the intent of being influenced, you listen just long enough to respond and remind everyone why the team should stay on course with your original concept.  You become so focused on leading change that you don’t notice the energy, enthusiasm and participation of team members falling off as you march to the finish line.

It’s not until you get there and turn around for a group high-five that you see their weary exasperation with your leadership style.  They congratulate you on your project.

A better way

Don’t let that happen to your next idea. Here are three ways to innovate and collaborate more effectively:

• Create space for other people to contribute. Take advantage of everything that people bring to a team.  Utilize their head and heart as well as their hands.
• Listen to feedback.  Explore and acknowledge what people are suggesting.  Listen in a special way—with the intent of being influenced.
• Recognize that no matter how good your idea is, it can always be made better through the input of others. As Ken Blanchard likes to say, “None of us is as smart as all of us.”

True innovation requires passion and collaboration.  Create some space for others. It will make your ideas stronger, give you a better chance for success, and create needed buy-in along the way.

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PS: You can learn more about the 40 different thought leaders presenting in the October 10 Un-Leaderlike Moments Livecast here.  It’s a free online event hosted by Ken Blanchard.

Learn more.

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Join The Ken Blanchard Companies for a complimentary webinar and online chat beginning today at 9:00 a.m. Pacific Time (12:00 noon Eastern).

Best-selling author and consultant Scott Blanchard will be sharing the results of five years of primary research which uncovers the motivational factors that bring out the natural motivation inherent in people, get employees up-to-speed quickly in new roles, and remove roadblocks to performance.
 

The webinar is free and seats are still available if you would like to join over 1,100 people expected to participate. Immediately after the webinar, Scott will be answering follow-up questions here at LeaderChat for about 30 minutes. To participate in the follow-up discussion, use these simple instructions.

Instructions for Participating in the Online Chat

• Click on the LEAVE A COMMENT link above
• Type in your question
• Push SUBMIT COMMENT

It’s as easy as that! Scott will answer as many questions as possible in the order they are received. Be sure to press F5 to refresh your screen occasionally to see the latest responses. We hope you can join us later today for this special complimentary event courtesy of Cisco WebEx and The Ken Blanchard Companies.

Click here to watch complete recording.

The webinar is free and seats are still available if you would like to join over 1,100 people expected to participate.

Immediately after the webinar, Phil will be answering follow-up questions here at LeaderChat for about 30 minutes.  To participate in the follow-up discussion, use these simple instructions.

 Instructions for Participating in the Online Chat

• Click on the LEAVE A COMMENT link above
• Type in your question
• Push SUBMIT COMMENT

It’s as easy as that!  Phil will answer as many questions as possible in the order they are received.  Be sure to press F5 to refresh your screen occasionally to see the latest responses.

We hope you can join us later today for this special complimentary event courtesy of Cisco WebEx and The Ken Blanchard Companies.  Click here to register or learn more.

10/20/11 update: Webinar recording just posted.  Access here by clicking How To Deliver Feedback in a Way that Gets Results

Individual Employees

For individual employees, Blanchard recommends first and foremost, to focus on doing a good job in your current role while you look for new opportunities inside the company.  As he explains, “Growth beyond your current job is a privilege usually reserved for people who perform in an exemplary fashion. When managers get requests for growth from people who are not performing at their best, it may feel to them like they are stepping on a treadmill with an employee who may never be satisfied in his or her current role.  Most managers will avoid this, because they suspect it will become a never-ending process.”

Managers

For managers, Blanchard advises facing growth conversations head-on—even when you don’t have traditional next steps up the corporate ladder to offer. As a manager, keep your eye out for new opportunities and new projects that may come up. Know which people on your team would consider it rewarding to get involved in a project that is different than their normal job.

This could potentially be a lateral move, or even a move to completely different part of the organization. Some of the greatest opportunities for growth are found in areas that integrate what’s happening between two departments. For example, a project following up on leads could bring the sales and marketing departments together, while refining and solving a business problem could integrate the engineering and sales departments.

Good managers look out for their people and think beyond the day-to-day. When they have someone who is really working hard for them, they go out of their way to help that person grow.

Senior Leaders

For senior leaders, Blanchard reminds executives that good people always have opportunities.  His recommendation?  Conduct an assessment to find out how employees view current growth opportunities in the organization. Make growth a priority. Your best people are not going to wait patiently for opportunities for advancement—even in a slow economy.  If you are not providing them with growth opportunities, they will go elsewhere and they will take what they learn from you and use that to build their career at another company.

You don’t want to be the person at a top employee’s exit interview who hears, “The headhunters seemed to care more about my career development and growth opportunities than this organization did.”

Learn More

Growth is just one of 12  important factors employees evaluate in their work environment. To see Blanchard’s latest research on the topic read Employee Work Passion Volume 3: Connecting the Dots.  To read more on Scott Blanchard’s specific strategies for creating an engaging work environment check out his other Fast Company articles.

Do Your People Really Know What You Expect From Them?

Feedback Usually Says More About the Giver than the Receiver

Managers: Set People Free to Promote Growth and Get Results

The Role Money Plays in Engaging Employees

The Just-Right Approach To Social Media And Transparency, And What It Says About Your Company

Maintain A Startup Attitude for a Passionate Office

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One of the basic requirements in today’s new connected world is “virtualosity” when it comes to responsiveness and engagement.

For HR, OD, and training professionals, “virtualosity” means acknowledging and meeting the needs of participants who are located across a widely-dispersed network, and using new technology and enhanced instructional design to keep your audience engaged.

Here are seven core skills to help learning professionals jump start their journey to training virtualosity:

• Set the context—Gain buy-in by explaining how the training is aligned with the organization’s vision, values, and goals. Make it relevant to how it affects each participant’s job, set expectations, and be clear on how the training will actually play out.
• Know your platform—If your virtual training runs on a Learning Management System (LMS), know your system and its requirements in advance and become thoroughly familiar with your platform.
• Utilize a technical producer—The producer is the logistical and technical expert who ensures that all platform functionalities and voice connections are working properly to support the success of the session.
• Use reporting features and analytics—Tracking and analysis tools are vital to measuring progress and results. Measure participants’ completion rates, attrition rates, and comprehension.
• Think global—If your audience is located in diverse geographical areas, you will need to consider translation capacity, cultural adaptation, and localization of your content as well as scheduling global rollout logistics.
• Keep participants focused—As Dr. Vicki Halsey, author of the new book Brilliance by Design recommends, deliver engaging content in easy to remember chunks and consider participants’ different learning styles. Keep it interesting, interactive, fast moving, and relevant.
• Follow up and reinforce training—Provide opportunities for participants to practice new behaviors with peers or mentors before they attempt to use them with direct reports. Allow time for action planning and send email reminders with assignments that reinforce the use the skills and behaviors learned.

Practice Makes Perfect

Engaging design, skillful delivery, and creative reinforcement of learning take on greater importance in today’s wired world. Like all good training experiences, if the basics are done well, the learning journey can be smooth and successful.

PS: To learn more about virtualosity in the training arena, be sure to download the free white paper, Virtualosity for Training Professionals.  And if you’re attending this year’s ASTD Conference in Orlando, Florida next week, be sure to stop by The Ken Blanchard Companies booth to meet Brilliance by Design author Dr. Vicki Halsey. Vicki, together with Ken Blanchard, Chris Edmonds, Jesse Stoner and other Blanchard authors will be conducting a series of in-booth presentations over the entire three day conference. You can access the complete Blanchard booth schedule here and also learn how to obtain a free Expo Hall pass if you, or a friend, would like to attend.

Even under the best of circumstances, creating a business plan and getting others to actually buy into it is a difficult task.  Don’t make things three times as hard by trying to do everything yourself.  That’s the advice from Jesse Stoner in a recent article on Creating a Vision Statement that Works.

Stoner explains that too many executives try to do everything on their own.  They don’t leave room for other people.  As a result, people don’t feel like they own the vision and so they are less likely to follow it.

For executives looking to create a strong picture of the future for their company that will guide planning and decision-making in the coming year, Stoner recommends paying special attention to what she calls the three “hows.”

3 “Hows” of Creating A Successful Vision

1. How it’s created.  Resist the temptation to huddle together with a small group of executives at an off-site retreat to create a vision for the organization.  While part of leadership entails setting a strategic direction for the company, the key is to make space for all of the people who are going to be responsible for implementing the vision.  If you want them to buy into the vision, give them a chance to be a part of the process.
2. How it’s communicated.  Avoid the urge to laminate your latest vision statement, frame it on the wall, and distribute copies among the rank-and-file.  Instead, ask managers to share the new vision in small group settings, discuss what it means, answer questions, and gather feedback.
3. How it’s lived.  This is something that a leader can do personally.  Actions speak louder than words and employees will be watching a senior leader’s behavior to see if the vision is really a new direction or just words on a paper.  Make sure that your behavior is consistent with the stated direction of the company.  Nothing does a better job of bringing a vision to life.

Don’t lead in a vacuum—involve others in the process for better buy-in and greater results.

To learn more about what Stoner has to say on creating a clear direction for 2011, be sure to check out Creating a Vision Statement that Works in this month’s Ignite newsletter.  Also, learn more about a free webinar Stoner is conducting this Wednesday on Creating Engagement and Alignment through a Shared Vision. Over 700 people are registered already!

1. Be Immediate and Specific–For a praising to be effective, it must be immediate and specific. Tell people exactly what they did right as soon as possible. For example, “You submitted your report on time Friday, and it was well written. In fact, I used it in a meeting today, and that report made you and me and our whole department look good.”

Use examples such as “I see productivity in your department is up ten percent” or “Your report helped us win the contract with the Jones Company.” Comments that are too general, such as “I appreciate your efforts,” “Thank you very much,” “I don’t know what I’d do without you,” and “Keep up the good work,” are less likely to seem sincere and thus are unlikely to be effective.

2. State Your Feelings–After you praise people, tell them how you feel about what they did. Don’t intellectualize. State your gut feelings: “Let me tell you how I feel. I was so proud after hearing your financial report presentation at the Board of Directors meeting. I want you to know how good I feel about your being on our team. Thanks a lot.”

Recognizing people and expressing appreciation doesn’t have to be a laborious, drawn-out process.  In fact, many times your best praisings are the informal, spur-of-the-moment opportunities that happen throughout the course of the day. 

Get started today.  Catch someone doing things right.  It’s a powerful way to show someone you care and it can be your best management minute of the day.

Twitter Contest–Today’s Winner!

Congratulations to Christie at Mississippi State’s Women’s basketball program.  She was recognized by Coach Joey Burton and is the winner of today’s prize of a personally autographed copy of one of Ken Blanchard’s latest books. 

If you’d like to participate and recognize someone you know for a job well done, just follow the instructions below.  We’ll be choosing one more winner tomorrow.

Instructions for “Catch Someone Doing Things Right” Twitter Contest

1. Go to http://www.twitter.com  and post the name of the person you would like to catch doing things right along with a very short (140-characters or less) description of why. Include the following code in your message @leaderchat

For example: @leaderchat  Nick Peterson—for your work in developing our new press release program and keeping everyone up-to-date on a regular basis.  Thank you!

 2. Push the UPDATE button

It’s as simple as that.  Every day between now and Friday we’ll randomly choose one lucky person among those entered to receive a personally autographed copy of one of Ken Blanchard’s latest books.  Each day’s winner will be posted at 6:00 a.m. Pacific Time right here at http://www.leaderchat.org

To participate in the online discussion, stop by http://www.leaderchat.org  beginning at 10:05 a.m. Pacific Time.

Instructions for Participating in the Online Chat

If you have a question that you would like to ask Mark Paskowitz, just click on the COMMENTS link above.  Then post your question and push SUBMIT COMMENT.  Mark will answer as many questions as possible during the 30-minute online Q&A.  (Be sure to press F5 to refresh your screen occasionally to see the latest responses.)

If you can’t stay for the entire 30-minute chat, but would like to see all of the questions and responses, you can always stop by later.  You can also click on the RSS FEED button in the right-hand column to receive updates automatically through email.

Instructions for “Catch Someone Doing Things Right” Twitter Contest

At the conclusion of the webinar Mark Paskowitz will also be announcing a special Twitter contest that The Ken Blanchard Companies is holding this week.  Starting on Tuesday and lasting for 72-hours, The Ken Blanchard Companies will give you a chance to “catch someone doing things right” by entering that person in a drawing for a copy of one of Ken Blanchard’s latest books. The book will contain a personalized inscription congratulating the winner on being caught doing things right.  The contest ends on Friday at 6:00 a.m. Pacific Time and you can enter as many people as you would like.  Here’s how to participate:

1. Go to www.twitter.com  and post the name of the person you would like to catch doing things right along with a very short description of why. Include the following code in your message @leaderchat

For example: @leaderchat  Nick Peterson—for doing an outstanding job all year and helping to make this our best year ever! 

2. Push the UPDATE button

It’s as simple as that.  Every day between now and Friday we’ll randomly choose one lucky person among those entered to receive one of the personalized books.  Each day’s winner will be posted at 6:00 a.m. Pacific Time at www.leaderchat.org

Don’t miss this chance to say “thank you” to someone who really deserves it.  Participating is a fun, low-cost, and very thoughtful way to let someone know that you appreciate them!

PS: If you don’t have a Twitter account yet, you can sign up at Twitter when you get there.  Just follow the instructions and you’ll be online in minutes.

To learn more about this event, check out the Make A Difference Day website.  And if you want to help, but aren’t sure how to get started, be sure to check out the Idea Generator.  It’s an online tool that will help you brainstorm ways your company can help your community. Here are some of the ideas that the Idea Generator created for an organization like The Ken Blanchard Companies. 

• SELF-CLEANING COMMUNITY: In San Marcos, Calif., more than 500 San Diego County residents — representing 20 organizations — carted away 12 tons of debris from six square blocks in the Richmar neighborhood and accomplished dozens of beautification projects. The city supplied hand tools, trucks and dumpsters, while businesses donated plants and landscaping supplies.
• OFFER LEGAL ADVICE: 18 Reno, Nev., lawyers set up a booth at a mall and gave out free legal advice to 66 people on everything from family law, wills and bankruptcy to grandparents’ rights.
• REPAIR CARS: The Dodge-Chrysler-Plymouth dealer in Vacaville, Calif., gave a used van and repaired a second one belonging to the local Salvation Army for free. The dealership and its employees returned the vans packed with donated food and clothing.
• SHOW KIDS YOU CARE: Employees of the Wilkes-Barre State Farm Insurance Auto Claims Office in Pennsylvania made a meal and Halloween treat bags for residents of the Domestic Violence Service Center.
• FOCUS ON YOUR ENVIRONMENT: Five employees of PhotoFast picked up trash in downtown Oroville, Calif.
• USE YOUR NUMBERS: Hundreds of AT&T employees in five states rolled up their sleeves and rebuilt shelters, cleaned parks, prepared food and entertained disadvantaged children.

What are some of the ways your organization can make a difference?  Make A Difference Day is a great way to get started, but as Ken reminds us in his post, making a difference doesn’t have to be this Saturday only—each of us can make a difference every day.

It’s been a great week devoted to identifying all of the wonderful leaders around us today and to explore some of the traits that make them special.  We’ve looked at the people who push the edges, inspire us, and lead us to places we may not have been able to get to on our own.

We also looked at a special group of people who we called the unsung hero, or the everyday leader.  These are the people who may not be household names, but who have had a powerful positive influence on our lives.  Here are a couple of more unsung hero/leader nominations from Ken Blanchard’s Twitter page that I wanted to share:

• My favorite leader as a coach: my mother-she understands me, keeps me grounded, pushes, backs-up.
• Innovation, courage, and caring make 8th grade science teacher Sandy Willmore my choice for Top Leader.
• My unsung hero is my cousin Chris an army helicopter pilot who will be leaving for Afghanistan.
• Susan Baldwin. For maintaining relationships with previous employees to use for training and back-up.
• This may sound like a cliché, but my boss is one of the best leaders I have ever met. He never has to ask for respect.

If you haven’t had a chance to see everyone who was nominated, go over to www.Twitter.com and type @kenblanchard in the search box.  You’ll see everyone who was recognized.  Thanks again to everyone who participated over this past week.

On this final day, the role of the leader as coach seems to be the aspect of leadership to highlight.  In addition to inspirational, unsung, and visionary leaders, the leader as coach has been the fourth most popular nomination.

Nominees have ranged from sports coaches, like Tony Dungy, John Calipari, and Pete Carroll, to business coaches, like Marshall Goldsmith, Stephen Covey, and John Maxwell, and finally to life coaches like Deepak Chopra, Oprah Winfrey, and Tony Robbins.

What’s the one thing they all have in common?  They see something special in others, and they use a combination of encouragement and accountability to bring it to full development.  By setting high standards, providing direction and support as needed, and always believing in their people, these types of coaches help their clients and team members get to places they might not have been able to get to on their own.

Who are the people that have believed in you?  Who has held you to a higher standard of performance—and always believed in your ability to achieve it?  Let us know by posting your top coaching leader at www.twitter.com/kenblanchard  Remember to add @kenblanchard in the body of your tweet so you’ll be entered into tomorrow’s drawing for one of two gift baskets of Ken Blanchard books.

Survey/Contest Details

LeaderChat is partnering with Ken Blanchard on Twitter to conduct a fun and interesting survey/contest.  Through October 13th, we’d like you to Tweet the name of the person you think is today’s top leader.  In order for us to know who your selection is specifically for this contest, just include “@kenblanchard” in your Tweet.

For example, your Tweet could read: “Today’s top leader @kenblanchard: John Smith”

By doing that, you will be entered into our Twitter contest. After October 13th, we will randomly select two submissions for this contest on Twitter, and we’ll send each of these winners a gift pack of 7 of Ken’s best books, including best-sellers together with some of his newest releases. If you win, Ken will send you a direct Tweet to get your contact info, and we’ll also post the winners here.

 As you look over the latest group of people who have been nominated, consider who is the most inspirational leader you have ever met.  What was it about them that caused you to be inspired?  Was it something they said?  Something they did?  Or was it something harder to describe?

Once you’ve identified that inspirational leader, let us know about it.  Post a tweet with @kenblanchard in the body of the message.  That will get your message posted at Ken Blanchard’s Twitter page and also enter you into our raffle on Tuesday for one of two gift baskets of Ken Blanchard books. 

This weekend’s new nominees:

• USC football coach Pete Carroll
• Social visionary, Eboo Patel
• Steve Irwin, famed Australian “Crocodile Hunter”
• Croatian tennis player, Marin Cilic who reached the quarterfinals of this year’s US Open
• Pastor, and best-selling author, Rick Warren
• Jack Stack CEO of SRC Holdings Corporation
• Jack Canfield, best-selling author of Chicken Soup for the Soul

Who’s inspired you?  Let us know, and check back here at LeaderChat to see who is inspiring others.

Survey/Contest Details

LeaderChat is partnering with Ken Blanchard on Twitter to conduct a fun and interesting survey/contest.  Through October 13th, we’d like you to Tweet the name of the person you think is today’s top leader.  In order for us to know who your selection is specifically for this contest, just include “@kenblanchard” in your Tweet.

For example, your Tweet could read: “Today’s top leader @kenblanchard: John Smith”

By doing that, you will be entered into our Twitter contest. After October 13th, we will randomly select two submissions for this contest on Twitter, and we’ll send each of these winners a gift pack of 7 of Ken’s best books, including best-sellers together with some of his newest releases. If you win, Ken will send you a direct Tweet to get your contact info, and we’ll also post the winners here.

People felt that there were plenty of leaders in all walks of life who weren’t necessarily famous, but were still having a big impact on the people around them.  One example was a parent’s nomination of a teammate on a son’s high school baseball team. As the parent noted, “He (the teammate) is the leader without anyone telling him he is the leader. He is a model player who gives the credit to his teammates. No vote was needed.”

Another nomination was for a retired U.S. Navy captain.  This nominee’s leadership traits?  “He knew each person’s name in our command of over 400+ people. Never looked at your name tag–looked you directly in the eye so you knew he knew your name.”

The takeaway from today’s postings?  As one Facebook fan identified, “To be a great leader you must see something…and I’d like to add, that something can be a special trait in another, an idea for doings things a new way, or a vision for a better future.   

Who’s your nominee as one of today’s top leaders?  Let us know by posting your nominee. Be sure to check back again on Monday to see the results from this weekend.

McCain is part of a young generation of writers and columnists covering everything from current events to the latest in entertainment and fashion. She first began to receive media attention when she documented life on the campaign trail with her father Senator John McCain.  You can read McCain’s latest posts at The Daily Beast.

Hendley is a great example of a young man who, beginning at the age of 25, travelled to Sudan, Ethiopia, Uganda and Cambodia, working with local communities to build clean water wells and sanitation systems.  Upon coming home and returning to school, Hendley continued working for clean water in developing nations through fund-raising at bars where he worked. By hosting wine tastings and providing information about the clean water crisis in other less-developed parts of the world, Hendley was able to later launch Wine to Water, Hendley’s organization that provides clean water to people in developing countries.  You can learn more about Hendley and Wine to Water at www.winetowater.org

Who are other examples of non-traditional leaders that you would like to highlight?

Let us know by posting your nominee on Twitter.  When you do, you’ll also be entered into our drawing for a specially chosen selection of Ken Blanchard best-sellers and new releases.

To participate, go to Twitter.com and “tweet” the name of the person you think is today’s top leader.  In order for us to know who your selection is specifically for this contest, just include “@kenblanchard” in your Tweet.

For example, your Tweet could read: “Today’s top leader @kenblanchard: John Smith

We’ll keep posting the latest nominees and keeping the survey/ book raffle open until October 13 when two random winners will be chosen from among all of the people who have participated.

Join us in this opportunity to recognize leaders who are making a difference .  Also, be sure to check back every day for updates, and to see who people are talking about!

Each year, WID invites defense professionals to invest a day to look at trends in the defense and national security fields. Sue will be addressing top women in the industry about what it takes to be successful in today’s competitive environment.

Sue will be joining an impressive line-up of speakers that includes:

• Hon. Kathleen Hicks, Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Strategy, Plans, and Forces
• Ms. Lynly Boor, Director on External Affairs, USO
• Former Vice Admiral Nancy Brown, U.S. Navy
• Brigadier General Barbara Doornink, USA (Ret.), Senior Vice President, SAIC

Congratulations Sue! And if anyone out there has a friend or colleague in the DC area, be sure to let them know about this event. It’s a great way to hear from top women in industry, government, and the media, plus engage in conversation and exchange ideas. Both women and men are welcome.

To learn more, visit http://wid.ndia.org/events/9WD0/index.htm