Watching the seminar footage, I couldn’t help but muse, “You just don’t see that every day….” It was just so… different. Contrast this with a scenario that played out a few years back on my team. I had received some feedback on a project that I didn’t agree with and had defended myself a little too aggressively. The next day, I decided I owed my team an apology. Even so, I remember pacing in my cubical for several minutes before I could muster up the will to admit I’d been wrong.

What is it about apologizing that is so difficult? And what makes it so important – in terms of cultural capital, influence and effectiveness?

Here are my observations.

Leaders Set the Standard

Gruenert & Whitaker wrote, “The culture of any organization is shaped by the worst behavior the leader is willing to tolerate.” Sometimes the leader is the one with the bad behavior. Apologies acknowledge the standard for good behavior.

We All Have Room to Grow

Dale Carnegie said, “If you are wrong, admit it quickly and emphatically.” The bottom line is we all have room to grow, which means we’ll all make mistakes from time to time. It’s often not the mistakes themselves (both unintentional and poor behavior) but how we respond that provide the largest opportunity for growth.

Authenticity Matters

It’s been said that oftentimes our followers are more impressed with our weaknesses and failures than they are with our successes. For one thing, our struggles can seem more relate-able. When we apologize, we relate on a very human level. In doing so, we invite the people around us to view us not as their leaders but as their equals.

Lead By Example

When I was growing up, my parents would occasionally apologize to us kids. I can’t remember any specific occasions, but as I’ve gotten older, I wonder that it must’ve taken some serious willpower. I think they decided it was important to set the example that when we’re wrong, it’s our responsibility (even theirs) to make it right.

Improve Behavior, Improve Performance

In their book Thanks for the Feedback, Douglas Stone and Sheila Heen point out that when you are the problem in a given situation, you actually have the most control over improving the situation. When you change, the situation changes. When we recognize that we’ve been the problem – and apologize for it – not only does the situation improve but those who oppose us now have a reason to support us in following through.

Unhindered Teams Win

In his book Leading with the Heart, basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski talks about the effectiveness of teams built on trust and a radical commitment to the collective whole. In the sport of basketball, time is precious. The longer any one team member is wrong, the longer the whole team suffers. In most organizations, time can easily get away from us. The quicker we can make things right with our teammates, the quicker we can restore trust, cohesion and effectiveness. I truly believe that teamwork is the next great competitive advantage.

Admitting our faults is tough – there’s no way around it. But there’s usually no sense in hiding what others are probably already well aware of. Let’s push ourselves to continue to acknowledge where we’ve been the problem and ask for forgiveness. The entire organization stands to benefit.

Nathan Magnuson is a leadership consultant, coach, trainer and thought leader. Receive his ebook Trusted Leadership Advisor by subscribing to his website or   follow him on Twitter.

A couple years ago I was privileged to have Mark Miller guest post on my site about surviving success. We all need a game plan to kick off a new opportunity. But our behavior needs an adjustment as well.

In his bestseller What Got You Here Won’t Get You There, executive coach Marshall Goldsmith shares twenty habits that can be largely overlooked at lower organizational levels, but have the potential to absolutely derail a senior leader who doesn’t change course. There isn’t room to share them all in this post, but I’d like to highlight five extra critical ones. Fail to implement them, and your best people may go looking for a new leader.

Adding Too Much Value

It’s crucial to learn how to influence when you’re not in charge. But when you are in charge, that same influence gets interpreted differently. As the boss, your two cents’ worth can easily be taken as a mandate. The more you give, the more restricted your team may feel. So resist the urge to share every comment that comes to mind – and when you do, be clear on whether it is simply an idea or a strong preference.

Winning Too Much

Leaders don’t get promoted without demonstrating results. They are often high achievers. But at some point, senior leaders must pick and choose their battles. Some causes are worth every ounce of energy and resources. Many are not. Know which hill you’re willing to die on and when it’s time to move on.

Withholding Information

Practically every organization has a communication problem in some regard – it’s a frequently mentioned employee engagement item year over year. Some leaders refuse to share information in order to maintain an advantage over others – dictator behavior at its finest. Others assume everyone has the information they need because they shared it in a single meeting last quarter. One is egregious, the other is misdirected but both can cause major performance breakdowns.

Not Listening

Goldsmith calls the failure to listen “the most passive-aggressive form of disrespect for colleagues.” Ouch. Failing to listen well may not be a show-stopper at lower organizational levels, but it’s crucial the closer you get to the top. I believe this is one reason coach training for managers has gained such popularity in the last decade. So listen actively, not just to gain information but to truly understand.

An Excessive Need to Be “Me”

We all have our quirks. The problem comes when different standards apply to different parties. When senior leaders insist “this is just how I am” when exhibiting behavior that is unacceptable for others, morale takes a big hit. No one likes double standards.

At the end of the day, leadership is a privilege. Not only that, it’s much easier to lead with a team that has your back. People are smart. They pick up on our behavior – good or bad. So if you’re in a senior role (or better yet, before you get there), do a behavior inventory. Find an area to improve and get to work. You’ll be the one who benefits most.

Nathan Magnuson is a leadership consultant, coach, trainer and thought leader.  Receive his new ebook Trusted Leadership Advisor by subscribing to his website  or follow him on Twitter.

At the end of the day, the organization is going to do what it’s going to do, right? So maybe a better question is: why do we even have core values?

We’ve probably all come across sets of core values that were easy to make fun of or were too vague to impact anyone. But well constructed, specific core values can add tremendous benefit both to organizations and individuals. In fact, here are three ways I’ve seen this happen.

Drive Culture

Every organization is driven by a number of things. Hopefully there is a clear purpose that all stakeholders know by heart. Customer value creation ought to drive action. If your organization is a company, earning a profit ought to be at least one of the drivers. But none of these should come at the expense of core values. Each driver should align and core values should empower the organization to move forward.

Wouldn’t you prefer to work in a values-driven organizational culture? Imagine what could happen in an organization without values. A quick look at the news and you’ll see many examples.

Influence Mindsets and Behaviors

As most of us have observed, nearly every organizations have a set of core values. Sometimes they even get talked about, which a great step. But how often are they referenced or recalled? To take it a step further, how often do they invoke personal change?

If your organization has core values, they need to be part of the corporate conversation. Then you’ve got to relate them to the way people think and act in the context of everyday situations. Point out when the values were present. “Our team did a great job demonstrating ________.” Use values-oriented language to assess future work. “Here’s an opportunity for our team to demonstrate _________.”

Over time, common language begins to turn into common mindsets and common behavior.

Guide Decision-Making

In any organization, there are many leaders who operate at many levels. The temptation for new or risk-averse leaders can sometimes be to push the difficult decisions up to the next level. Once this happens enough times, the leaders at the top start wondering why they have to solve every problem and make every decision that comes their way. What’s the point of having leaders if they don’t take responsibility, they wonder.

That’s where organizational strategy comes in. That’s where training comes in. And that’s also where core values come in. These are the tools every leader ought to be able to use to make the decisions appropriate for his or her level.

Core values enhance leadership responsibility by helping to guide decision-making.

So the next time you look at your core values, ask yourself what difference they make in your organization. If that answer is “not much,” it may be time for a refresh. Or it may be time to simply speak up.

What difference do your core values make?

Nathan Magnuson is a leadership consultant, coach, trainer and thought leader.  Receive his new ebook Trusted Leadership Advisor by subscribing to his website  or follow him on Twitter.

Another time I was responsible for opening up a restaurant in the morning. When I turned on the lights, I couldn’t believe how shiny everything looked. The place was cleaner than I had ever seen it before. I had to ask around to see who had gone above and beyond.

Yet another time, I needed some repairs done to my car but was on a tight schedule. The mechanic drove me home after I dropped off my car, then called to update me, took my payment over the phone and left my car where I could pick it up at my leisure when my schedule allowed.

Nathan Magnuson is a leadership consultant, coach, trainer and thought leader.  Receive his new ebook Trusted Leadership Advisor by subscribing to his website  or follow him on Twitter.

This may be how you feel about evaluation… unless you have a built-in evaluation plan. In that case, you’ll be ready to hand over the results of your training before management even asks for it.

So how do you evaluate learning programs? In this post, I’d like to summarize the Kirkpatrick Four Levels of Learning Evaluation.

Donald Kirkpatrick is the founder of training firm Kirkpatrick Partners and a past president of the American Society of Training & Development (ASTD). In 1954, Kirkpatrick developed what is now known as the Kirkpatrick Evaluation Model as part of his doctoral dissertation. The comprehensive guide is presented in his book Evaluation Training Programs: The Four Levels. Here are the four levels:

Level 1: Reaction

This level measures the initial reaction of training participants to the content and event. It focuses both on their thoughts and feelings. Were they actively engaged? Did it seem relevant to them? Did they get to participate in the learning process? The Level 1 evaluation is most easily conducted onsite at the conclusion of the learning event, or at least very soon afterward. A short form or survey is usually the easiest tool to use.

Level 2: Learning

This level measures the increase in knowledge or capability as it relates to the course’s content. The ultimate goal is for participants to learn the material, develop the necessary skills, believe it is worthwhile, and be both confident and committed to using what they’ve learned. Depending on the course subject, evaluating this level may be a bit tricky. To measure an increase, obviously there ought to be a pre-event and post-event assessment. One method is to have practical exercises at the conclusion of the training to measure learning. Another is to use a test or observe on the work site afterwards.

Level 3: Behavior

This level measures the application of the learning in the participants’ work roles over time. The crucial part of this level is that the course’s learning goals must to be supported by the organization’s infrastructure, processes & systems in order to provide the sustained motivation for application. In other words, it needs to be easy for the participants to practice what they’ve learned without interference, and there should be visible rewards. One way to measure this is to interview managers who have been encouraged to observe their teams’ behavior after the learning event has taken place. (This is one reason it’s so important to involve managers in the course development).

Level 4: Results

This level is the ultimate measure of learning effectiveness: improved business results, such as increased sales, decreased turnover, higher employee engagement, etc. The great thing about this level is that management already measures these business results. The important thing for you is to be able to link the training to the results it ought to affect. Next, identify the performance of the participants for the next time period. Then you’ll be able to report that, “the average training participant had a 30% sales increase in the year following the training” or “customer service satisfaction levels for participants were 20% higher than for non-participants.” The more you can measure results, the better a case you make for your learning program.

Learning evaluation can at times seem complicated but it can also be provide immense clarity. Don’t make it harder than it needs to be. If you aren’t currently doing any evaluation of your learning programs, simply pick one level and start with that. The feedback you get will let you know if you’re on the right track.

Which level do you focus on the most?

Nathan Magnuson is a leadership consultant, coach, trainer and thought leader.  Receive his new ebook Trusted Leadership Advisor by subscribing to his website  or follow him on Twitter.