Extra Hands, LLC

07/05/2025

03/13/2024

Navigating Leadership: Old School vs. New Age Approaches

In the ever-evolving landscape of leadership, two distinct paradigms emerge: old school and new age. Let's explore the fundamental differences between these approaches and their impact on organizational success.

**Old School Leadership:**

1. **Hierarchical Structure:** Old school leaders often adhere to a top-down management style, where decision-making authority resides at the top of the organizational pyramid.

2. **Command and Control:** Leaders in this paradigm typically rely on authority and directives to drive outcomes, emphasizing adherence to rules and protocols.

3. **Transactional Relationships:** The focus is often on transactions rather than relationships, with an emphasis on rewards and punishments to motivate performance.

4. **Risk Aversion:** Stability and predictability are valued over innovation, leading to a resistance towards change and a preference for maintaining the status quo.

**New Age Leadership:**

1. **Flat Organizational Structure:** New age leaders prefer a more decentralized approach, promoting collaboration and inclusivity throughout the organization.

2. **Empowerment and Trust:** They prioritize empowering their teams, fostering a culture of trust, autonomy, and accountability.

3. **Transformational Relationships:** Building meaningful connections and fostering a sense of purpose among team members is central to new age leadership, driving intrinsic motivation and engagement.

4. **Embracing Change:** Adaptability and agility are prized virtues, with leaders encouraging experimentation, innovation, and continuous learning to stay ahead in a dynamic environment.

**Implications for Organizational Success:**

- **Employee Engagement:** New age leadership fosters higher levels of employee engagement and satisfaction by valuing individual contributions and providing opportunities for growth and development.

- **Innovation and Adaptability:** Organizations led by new age principles are better positioned to innovate and adapt to changing market conditions, giving them a competitive edge.

- **Resilience:** In times of uncertainty, the flexible and adaptive nature of new age leadership enables organizations to navigate challenges with resilience and agility.

In conclusion, while old school leadership may have its merits in certain contexts, the evolving demands of the modern workplace necessitate a shift towards new age leadership principles. By embracing inclusivity, empowerment, and innovation, organizations can thrive in an ever-changing world.

02/15/2024

This is not the proper tool for fixing an outlet.

02/01/2024

Interior walls with doors.

12/31/2023

As we step into the new year, let’s embrace the promise of fresh beginnings, be grateful for the lessons of the past, and find motivation in the endless possibilities that lie ahead. May each day be a chance to grow, create, and spread kindness, making 2024 a year filled with joy, success, and meaningful connections. Cheers to a bright and hopeful new year!

12/29/2023

120 years difference since the first picture of Jupiter, Thoughts? 💭

12/25/2023

🌲
Happy Christmas Eve!
I hope everybody has a fantastic Christmas
🎄

12/13/2023

Leaders don't create followers, they create more leaders.

12/07/2023

Thought for the day…

Can we please just normalize being human already?

I recall the first time I had to pick up my little ones from elementary school early, and had literally no choice but to bring them back to my place of employment. Everybody looked, some pointed and I’m sure more made comments.

I remember thinking “why is this something that is so alien, that it prompts any response? Why isn’t this normal? Do you not trust me as an employee, that this was the only option? Do you not think I exhausted all other options first? Do you really think my preferred is to bring my kids to my place of employment and hope they conduct themselves perfectly in a brand new environment, surrounded by strangers?”

We need to admit (and for some it’s time to recognize) that life is a juggling act. It’s a delicate balance. A daring tightrope walk that many of us perform everyday, just to show up. One little glitch in the matrix, and everything is out of balance. One seemingly minor change to the routine, and it’s chaos.

Are we expected to pretend our real lives don’t exist while at work? Do you know the odds of those two separate lives never interacting? For at least 40 hours per week, to expect no family emergencies, no sick kids, no burst pipes at the house, no dog got out, no bus was late, no I didn’t sleep. No my spouse is really sick and I need to be there. No I’m being abused at home and I’m afraid to go back, no electric turned off cause I couldn’t pay the bill, no I can’t afford a new battery so my car won’t start. I could go on and on. Now, imagine this over your working career of 50 years or so.

My point is none of us know the story behind why the children had to come to the workplace, or why somebody has been sick a lot lately, or why they take the bus to work, or a myriad of other examples I could plug in here.

Employees are trusted to run our businesses, handle our customers, protect our assets, lock the shop doors, generate revenue, handle our cash, drive our cars, and much more. Yet, for some reason, we don’t trust them to call off (which statistically, most employees rarely do) step out for a couple hours, go to an appointment and grab lunch before returning, or yes bring a child or two into the office so that they can still work for you, while also being a parent.

Employees should be rewarded for this type of valor and commitment. Why? Because instead of having a situation arise and the employee just leave to address it, they value their job enough to bring their life into their work, in order to fulfill their obligations to both.

Can we just normalize that we’re all human and this is real life? Stop pretending life stops from 9am-5pm, or whatever crazy hours you’re working. People are human. Stop this facade and pointing fingers when someone is struggling. Maybe ask if you can help instead. Maybe just at ask if things are ok?

Dare I say, we should not only accept, but embrace and welcome humans in our workplace?

12/06/2023

Please consider attending if you are a business owner, or if you work with and/or support business owners. This is usually a paid webinar, but it's free. Just comment or DM your name, then join us.

*Side note: If you are not using Alignable, it's a great networking tool and it's free. It's kinda like FB mixed with LinkedIn, but designed for professionals and business owners.

Offered by Matthew Hilty & Assoc. (J. Galt Finance) - Dec 29th 11am-12pm EST: Business Owners and Professionals, Register now! We understand that navigating the world of corporate credit can be a daunting task. That's why we're excited to invite you to our exclusive FREE Educational Webinar on Corpo...

12/06/2023

This is so true. I saw it literally daily in the auto/RV dealership world. Unfortunately, the people making personnel decisions with so many companies are just plain ignorant.

This is business 101. One of the most significant expenses for any business is replacing a high-performing employee. It can take years for the replacement to just get to the same level, then years to actually progress and offer a return on the investment.

It's easier to blame the employee and replace them (usually with somebody less qualified, and almost always at a lower pay) than to invest and understand the real issues. You simply get what you pay for.

Then the owners and executives wonder why this process keeps repeating itself. It's often because they themselves are ignorant, out of touch and just plain lazy.

Take care of your people, and they'll take care of you.

11/25/2023

Celebrate Small Business Saturday by supporting local shops and entrepreneurs. Your purchases make a big impact on these businesses and contribute to the economy of your community.