We are pleased to announce our book “The Lead Dog Has the Best View: Leading Your Project Team to Success” is now available. The “Lead Dog” portion of the title was inspired by what we saw during a trip to Alaska where we happened upon a group of dog sled teams practicing for a race. We observed a tremendous release of energy when the lead dog took over from a constraining manager and the team raced ahead toward the finish line. Similarly, when your team is led rather than merely managed, there will be a great release of energy and enthusiasm. Our book examines what it takes to make the crucial transition from project manager to project leader. This book provides a person-centered, results-driven approach to project leadership not found elsewhere. This volume is intended to be a frequently used tool, not just read once and put on a shelf. Each chapter includes practical exercises and checklists that can be used individually or with a project team on an ongoing basis to periodically assess and improve leadership skills and to quickly recall and apply these key concepts on projects. The Lead Dog Has the Best View will make project work more fulfilling on both the professional and personal level.

Here is what the reviewers are saying:

“The book (almost uncannily) describes people that we actually know – their abilities, problems, etc. We can picture the example and “see” what the authors are saying. The people are real to us.”

“The book combines concepts from leadership, project management and organizational behavior in an interesting and entertaining way.”

“The exercises at the end of the chapters are very well constructed. They invite the reader to reflect about their own experiences and practices.”

“Other books about the Myers-Briggs® styles show how to effectively curb and utilize your personality tendencies to advantage in a work environment. None do it a project management/leadership context like this book does.”

®Myers-Briggs Type Indicator and MBTI are trademarks or registered trademarks of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator Trust in the United States and other countries.

“We have read many management books…we have not found another book that enables one to take personal attributes and apply them in a positive way to effectively manage projects.”

“There are many books that treat the topics of leadership, project management and personality types. However, this book is unique because it cleverly integrates these concepts.”

Available from ASCE Press $50: Order Online

Also available through Amazon.com

Effective leaders have a good sense of self-awareness

A very important and effective way to increase your self-awareness is to ask for feedback from others about their perceptions of your leadership skills. One of the features of our new book is a Leadership Assessment tool that you can use to make a self-assessment of your leadership skills by getting feedback from others.

The Leadership Assessment tool is available by clicking here. The Leadership Assessment tool is an integral part of our leadership training sessions. Should you desire to use the Leadership Assessment tool independently of one of our training sessions, please contact us for information on such use. You can use the Leadership Assessment tool and the following process for increasing your self-awareness:

1. Ask 3-5 peers and 3-5 direct reports from your work environment and the manager to whom you report to act as observers and provide their perceptions of your skills by anonymously filling out copies of the on-line Leadership Assessment. It is important that these observers know that their response will be anonymous and confidential and that their input is to be used strictly by you for your individual improvement and development tool and not in any type of performance evaluation.

• Choose observers from your work environment in your office location that you work with on a day-to-day basis and interact with frequently throughout the year.
• Do your best to get 8-10 observers: your manager, 3-5 peers and 3-5 direct reports.
• Avoid choosing observers in different geographic locales (an exception being if your manager is in a different geographic locale) or customers because they interact with you much less frequently than those that you work with on a day-to-day basis.
• Personally deliver the Observer Instructions for the on-line Leadership Assessment (see below) and tell each observer how much you will value their honest feedback. Let them know they need to complete and submit the on-line assessment form. Give them a deadline for submittal.
• Keep a list of your observers so you’ll be able to remind them to submit their completed survey.
• Stay in touch with your observers to make sure they return their surveys by the due date.

2. Before or at the same time you distribute the instructions for the on-line Leadership Assessment to your observers, complete and submit your on-line self assessment.

3. After your and your observer’s Leadership Assessments are received and analyzed, a report will be prepared. When you receive the report, look for:

• Your leadership characteristics that both you and others rate highly indicating that they are perceived as strengths that you tend to rely on, seem most important to you and that you exercise comfortably and frequently. Ask yourself what you do that accounts for these high scores. What can you do to further reinforce these skills?
• Your leadership characteristics you were most surprised to see that others rated highly and view as strengths that you did not. These are likely to be strengths that you are less comfortable using. More frequent use of these skills may offer the most immediate potential for improved leadership. List ways that you could you use these strengths more often.
• Your leadership skills that you were most surprised to see that others rated lower than you did and that they view as areas for improvement. These are development needs that you have not previously recognized. These needs represent the greatest opportunity for growth.

4. Considering the results described in your report, pick the strengths you would most like to reinforce and the characteristics you feel are most in need of improvement. Write down what actions you are going to take and when you are going to take them. Share your action plan with a peer or mentor and ask that person to check in with you on your progress at specific times.

5. An important step is to share the feedback and your action plan with those who offered you feedback. You will set an example by being open about information that is relevant to improving the team and will be demonstrating honesty, trust and teamwork. Talk about your highest scores and ask how you can become even better. Talk about the areas of improvement, ask for examples and get feedback on how you can improve. Thank them for their feedback. You can do this either in a group setting or in one-on-one discussions, depending on your comfort level and that of the people who gave you the feedback. The fact you are sharing the feedback will mean a lot to your team. Provide specifics about your action plan to improve and ask them to hold you accountable and to give you positive feedback when they see you are doing what you said you would do. Do not under any circumstances be defensive or justify your past actions or challenge their ratings and feedback. If you do so, you will never again get any honest feedback. Rather than asking “Why did you rate me that way?”, ask “Can you give me an example? How could I better do ….?” Then listen without reacting. Then go away to think about it and develop an action plan and thank the person for the feedback.

Combining the Leadership Assessment with the Myers-Briggs Type Instrument

Use of the Leadership Assessment tool in conjunction with the Myers-Briggs Type Instrument provides some especially powerful insights about how your behavioral preferences affect others’ perceptions of your leadership effectiveness. We are certified Myers-Briggs practitioners and can also make that tool available on-line. If you would like more information, please contact us at info@smithculp.com.

Leadership Assessment – Observer Instructions

The person who contacted you is asking you to provide an assessment of their leadership characteristics.

The purpose of this assessment is to provide a comparison of the individual’s self-evaluation of leadership characteristics with the evaluations of others. The resulting profile will provide information so the individual can compare their self-evaluation with the perceptions of others and identify areas for improvement. This information will not be used in any type of performance evaluation. You can access the on-line observer assessment form by clicking here.

If you have any difficulty with the on-line form, contact Smith Culp Consulting at 702-360-1120.

Your response will be pooled with others and will be treated confidentially. Be frank. Work rapidly as you complete the assessment form. Your first impression is usually most useful. The time required to complete the form is typically 15-20 minutes.