“A Culture of Excellence: The Art, Discipline, and Practice of Breakthrough Leadership” is a book that focuses on the pivotal qualities of leadership needed to foster a positive culture and drive success within your organization. In part 9 of a 10 part radio interview series discussing the book, Dr. Fardad Fateri, distinguishes kindness versus weakness and outlines how to build loyalty within an organization.
Transcript:
welcome back again this is the inner
voice and I'm doctor Foojan and I'm
delighted to have dr. Fardad Fateri
who's the president and the CEO of
International Education Corporation
which owns and operates accredited
college across colleges across the
United States he is the author of a
culture of excellence the art discipline
and practice of breakthrough leadership
dr. Fateri is a part of a small group
of chief executives in American higher
education today with significant
experience in the imperative but rare
interwoven triad of academic operations
and business verticals with over 25
years of experience in higher education
and graduating from UC Irvine and
Harvard University's dr. Fateri has
served as a professor department chair
Dean regional director college president
division president chief academic
officer for director and presidency of
several medium to large-sized nonprofit
market funded and privately held systems
and we have them with us now welcome dr.
Fateri thank you so much thank you
for the invitation happy to be here
wonderful so you also talk about
kindness versus weakness I know that one
of the beefs that I keep hearing and
with my clients who come in I also do
business coaching in my in my sessions
one of the biggest beef I hear is that I
go to a company put my hundred percent
and give up myself to make sure that I'm
doing everything for them but sometimes
then they take it for granted and they
don't take that my kindness my way of
being my bringing my hundred percent is
a gift that I'm bringing sometimes I'll
do above and beyond what my position in
job description says I go above and
beyond
al or as that is expected of me just to
be my excellent and then they take you
know the other group may be other
employees or even administration and
executives take this as if like oh it's
an opportunity if
they're giving we're just gonna take
what do you say about that
and when you're talking about excellent
you know leadership yeah you know so you
know I I think based on people's you
know we're all I'm sure you agree that
we're all products of our memory reason
and experience and says right whomever
we are today we are this way because of
all of our experiences and memories
we've had and most people are used to
working in organizations and they queit
effectiveness in general I think
organizations have improved a lot
leadership has improved a lot but a lot
of you believe aggressiveness equals top
achievement or somebody that's kind is
also weak so you know in our culture at
IC we we always say that our our
expectation of everybody regardless of
title and position is we expect everyone
to be professional respectful and always
preserve the dignity of others and and
and make sure that that ends and crosses
all departmental boundaries you know
what a lot of people again are not used
to this because it is very easy to get
angry and and raised your voice and get
emotional and sometimes shout at people
and sometimes be rude and disrespectful
you know we don't tolerate that and I
see it and and and with that said one of
the things we always do say is that
people shouldn't mistake kindness with
me weakness just because we are kind and
just because we are respectful and
professional all the time doesn't mean
that we don't have high expectations so
I think that is a part of a culture that
always has to be the
find that unexplained because sometimes
people think just because you're kind
and friendly and professional you may
not have high expectations for superior
performance and sudden high achievement
we tell everybody you know we manage and
lead through recognition and
appreciation and not fear and
intimidation both work you know people
who are fearful and and are intimidated
perform for you but they are the same
people who will never speak up there
will never speak out and the minute they
find another job they will leave you so
to build loyalty
you always have to you know coach in
private and praise in public you know
everybody needs to be coached and but
you don't have to do it in front of
everyone and embarrass your colleague
you can always take them aside and say
you know you did all these things right
but you've got to focus on these one or
two areas of opportunity so again I
think leading in a culture that values
employees and appreciates them on
recognizes them deliberately and
continuously is very difficult because
it takes time and I think in many cases
it takes people out of their elements
because as they may not be used to it
but it is effective because it builds
loyalty because people always want to
work for superiors they want to work for
an organization and that supports them
and and one makes them want to come to
work because nobody we spend more time
at work than we do at home and yes so
it's important then that for people to
go to work being happy and being
satisfied
so when Sunday evening comes they're not
thinking oh my weekend is over I've got
to go to work again and I can't I I
can't stand it you know we want people
who are excited Sunday night and Sunday
evening for Monday to come because it's
a different part of their life it's not
necessarily good
bad it's it's creating harmony between
your personal life and your professional
life as opposed to creating balance
because you know when you're in an
organization with the higher level
positions balance may not exist but you
have to have harmony between what you
have to do personally and professionally
there was a research that came up that
said this was a survey I think that said
that people highest rate of date death
was actually Mondays at 8 o'clock or 9
a.m. in the morning because people just
didn't want to go to work so based on
what you were saying is that least we'll
have good alive and healthy employees
and teams members to work with also to
that they will listen to you but they
won't have to fear you they would
actually respect you and when you work
in an environment that you feel
respected and respect your colleagues
and people you work with you want to go
there you'll be passionate about going
you know people get bored they don't
need to be stimulated they need to feel
productive and they love to go to a work
environment that people are sitting
there together with you know being
loving and kind and and yet very very
productive and get positive messages dr.
Fardad Fateri who has created and
it's an e-book a culture of excellence
the art discipline and the practice of
breakthrough leadership dr. Fateri
where can people we'll get your book
actually the book is also sold in
paperback it is available in digital
format
my co-author James York and I very
excited to have that Amazon is probably
the fastest and most accessible way to
the book
About the Author: Fardad Fateri
Dedicated to the advancement of student success, leadership development, and organizational excellence, Dr. Fardad Fateri has devoted his 30-year career to catalyzing innovation and transformation in American higher education.
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