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Brad Brown

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Grand Island Car Care Clinic

These events are starting to become a little more regular across the group, and that’s a really great thing! As an automotive group, we are uniquely positioned to help provide people with reliable transportation. When we host a car care clinic, we open up the shop after hours and our techs donate their time to fix vehicles for people in need.

All for no charge to those involved. In the past we have often partnered with other organizations to serve single moms in this way. While that will continue, this clinic was a little different. By utilizing a network of local veterans, we identified a group of local veterans in need and provided vehicle service to them. In a few cases, we replaced their vehicle entirely.

A special thanks to the Grand Island Service Team involved in making this happen! You guys are having a huge impact!

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Paying it Forward: Part 2

If you missed it, here’s a link to part one of Sarah’s story. See the video above for the conclusion. As we talked more with Sarah, it became clear that her visit was becoming something much more than a routine sales interaction.

She wanted to donate her grandfather’s car to Because People Matter Inc., and as we learned more about his legacy, it changed the trajectory of the whole story.

These kinds of connections carry our Mission forward. Thanks for being a vital part of the Team.

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Paying it Forward: Part 1

For most of us, it’s pretty easy to envision the kind of activity we’ll engage in when we show up to work in the morning. Maybe it involves working with customers all day, or perhaps it involves working behind the scenes to move the Team forward.

The reality is, we’re all involved in a lot of interwoven roles, with job activities and responsibilities that overlap and support each other. Sometimes it’s hard to see how it all fits together!

That’s why stories like these are so inspiring. Take a look at the video above. Our efforts all connected together to make Sarah’s story a reality. Your contribution as part of the team make the activities of BPM Inc. possible.

Stay tuned for Part 2 of this story!

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Are You A Manager, a Leader, or Both?

GR1409_imageThe Poynter Institute offers programs under the heading of “Leadership and Management.” Why not just leadership, or just management? What’s the difference between the two? Is one more important than the other?

My view is that there is clearly a difference between the two. Not every manager is a leader. Not every leader is a manager. You can be both, if you choose to. Social scientists have devoted large chunks of their brainpower to defining and differentiating the concepts of leadership and management.

It is tempting to see managers as lesser beings than leaders, drudges who feed the machine while leaders create visions of a better world. But consider how difficult life is when our managers don’t deliver for us. As a Manager:

  • I oversee and create work schedules
  • I facilitate internal/external communication
  • I resource team members with tools and technology
  • I select and hire new team members
  • I initiate and oversee team member training
  • I evaluate department success with metrics
  • I demonstrate accountability of my actions to execute and expect the same
  • I assess needs for developing appropriate systems
  • I collaborate and coordinate across groups

That small sample demonstrates the importance of managers to organizations. It is why another leadership thinker, Joseph C. Rost, criticizes those who “denigrate management to ennoble leadership.” He praises managers for bringing order, stability, and predictability to the workplace.

But Rost opens an important door, too. He argues that management is about authority, and leadership is about influence.

That, I believe, is a clear and critical distinction. Managers have the authority to make things happen. They can do it by force (reward and punishment), by simply “pulling rank.” That’s authority. But managers who lead, and leaders who aren’t managers, reach goals through influence.

Influence comes from trust — from a person’s expertise, integrity, and empathy as perceived by others. Maximum influence accrues to those who are strong in all three areas.
As I see it, people are required to follow managers. They choose to follow leaders.

As I see it, people are required to follow managers. They choose to follow leaders.

Does “transformational leadership” sound lofty and unattainable to you? Do you have to be heroic or charismatic to achieve it; not at all? Each of us, managers and non-managers, has the ability to turn the routine transactions of our lives into something better. What it takes is dedication to the people, not just the product. If you want to lead at this level, consider these commitments, and whether they reflect your leadership philosophy:

  • I don’t lead people like they are a means to an end.
  • I help people achieve a genuine sense of purpose in work connecting the dots of their strengths to the role and its impact on the organization.
  • I find opportunities for people to grow and their ideas to be heard.
  • I learn what motivates people, both intrinsically and extrinsically; I don’t assume.
  • I value people as individuals, and give them individualized attention
  • I seek to shape our work environment by our cultural values

If you take a second look at those commitments, you’ll note that they easily apply to a person with the title of manager, if that manager wants to be known as a high-level leader. But they can be embraced just as easily by a person with no title at all other than “colleague.”

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Adapted from an article by Jill Geisler published on 3/16/04.

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Three Leadership Principles

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We’re all in this together. Leadership doesn’t have to be complicated. Here are three simple principles that capture much of what it means to be a leader with character.

Values
The Principle of Integrity – Results improve in proportion to the level of trust earned by the leader.
The Principle of Responsibility – Results improve when leaders and their team members are held accountable for their actions.
The Principle of Commitment – Results improve to the extent that the leaders select and develop talented people.
The Principles of Vision – Results improve when leaders establish a crystal-clear vision with a convincing reason to embrace the vision.
Synergy
The Principles of Communication – Results improve when followers understand their role and are rewarded for their accomplishments.
The Principles of Conflict Resolution – Results improve when the leader timely removes obstacles inhibiting followers.
The Principle of Optimism – Results improve in proportion to the self-esteem and attitude of the leader.
The Principle of Change Management – Results improve to the extent that the leader embraces change and makes change positive.
Investment
The Principle of Empowerment – Results improve as team members are allowed to accept responsibility for their actions.
The Principle of Courage – Results improve in proportion to the leader’s ability to confront issues affecting their team members.
The Principle of Example – Results improve when the leaders is a positive role model.
The Principle of Preparation – Results improve to the extent that leaders develop themselves and their team members.

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adapted from multiple sources.