Category: Leadership Development

Prepared to Lead?

Where would we be without the media (Internet, paper, your organization, your boss, etc.)?  Constant messaging about what's important-usually relating to their own selfish motivations.  Wasn't it Hearst who said his organization was in the business of selling newspapers, not reporting the news?  Regardless, you're hearing it everyday.

I mention the above to gage if any of the information we absorb is preparing us to lead.  By now, I would think we know how important leadership is.  Everyone would agree that quality leadership is vital in good times and in the crisis times.  See the U.S. Congress for a great example of how some leaders never get this. 

The problem lies in our reluctance to experience the upfront pain of growing and changing.  For some this happens immediately, for others a little after the event or show is over.

Why do we give up and give in?

Here are some reasons to consider:

  • The microwave oven.  Take your growth and heat for three minutes, on high, and voila instant change.
  • Success.  We think our success says something more than it does.
  • Busy lives.  We say yes to everything and never learn the art of saying the leader's most important word; no.
  • The media has convinced us that by becoming leadership voyeurs, we have all we need.
  • We look for leadership love in all the wrong places.

Making Urgency Real

 

I received an email today from a publicist at Harvard Business Press wanting to connect about John Kott'er's newest book A Sense of Urgency.  It didn't take me very long to respond, with excitement, about reviewing a copy.  After reading, I will post my thoughts on this blog.

John Kotter is brilliant and thoughtful.  He truly has impacted my thinking over many years. 

The above video provides some clues to how urgency connects to change.

The Toll Road of Reinvention

Spoke to a friend last week who told me about a man of fifty-seven.  A typical tale for a corporate soldier in America today.  He's tired, bored and wonders where the time went.

The financial crisis happening here and around the world is taking a toll on investment accounts, retirement accounts and faith (if we still have that) in how our governments work.  But what about the man, or woman, of fifty-seven who sees only few options left (no, the answer is not held in the mind of Obama or McCain)?

I have written before about the toll that ten, twenty or thirty years of poor leadership can have on followers.  Now we're beginning to see the shift economically, which usually is the first crisis before the other shift can happen.  That shift is where people have to discover/rediscover who they really are, and it doesn't happen without a crisis.

The way up is the way down.

As a follower of Jesus Christ, I don't get as bent out of shape by crisis.  He wrote the story, I live it out.  A beautiful, tragic, happy, fluid, exciting epic with my name on it.  After forty-two years, I've seen and experienced so many crises that I now see them as part of the plot.

Regardless of your age, you will face a crossroads where reinvention beckons.  You can ignore it, but just know that more of who you are and what you do will become gray.  If you accept the reinvention invitation you might find that the next chapter is ready to be played out.

Chaos, Clarity and Courage

Churchill

My friend Terry gave me the following lesson a couple of week's ago:    

    Chaos can produce clarity, which then will challenge you to take courage.  If you take courage, you can speak clarity into the chaos.  Then you will have calm and a clear view of what must be done.

Obviously, a very difficult art, but a fine example of leadership.

What Do You Mean by Life-Long Learner?

Overheard a lady today talking/complaining about the difficulty in finding a job.  I don't know if her lack of employment was due to attitude, or the business cycle.  I felt for her.

What struck me though, was her statement that she was educated and that not being able to find a job made no sense.  Don't know what level of education she was speaking of, but she seemed confident of it's ability to garner a good job.

The expectation of completed education providing a well paved road to a job is a problem.

In the age (early 21st century) we live in you'd be well served to be a life-long learner.  I define this as someone who continually seeks to gain knowledge-formal or informal.  Life-long learners seek to apply what they learn and they understand the art of "process."  The art of process is the idea of no arrivals or destinations. 

Here are some tips for becoming/staying a life-long learner:

  1. Expect challenges and don't get comfortable.
  2. Explore areas you wouldn't normally seek out.  For example, buy a book on economic cycles over the last 50 years.  By doing this you'll gain understanding on how our economy ebbs and flows.  Who knows you might stop connecting your future career condition to Obama and McCain.
  3. Be diverse.  Go find others with different lenses than yours.  You don't have to agree with them to learn from them.
  4. Find your destiny.  Not enough time to go through that process here, but those that know their destiny tend to see the importance of learning.
  5. Don't be event minded.  Just because you go to the seminar at work doesn't translate to change.  And we all know that change should equate to learning.

The Art of Not Forgetting

In our frenzied business culture, the tendency is to fly through.  We do this thankful we made it on time to the next meeting.  But what about the forgetting?  You know, the thing you thought was spot on.  This happens way too often to leaders at every level of the organization.  Kind of makes sense when you think of all that comes at us.

If we're not careful, we'll find ourselves scratching our heads wondering what happened to our work and lives.  We'll find the unimportant to be great and the important to be good.  Turned around to be sure.

Is there a way to cease from the madness?  One way is to have a set group of values and become a slave to them.  For example, let's say your kids are your #3 value, but your career always causes you to miss the important events.  In this case, I would recommend you find a different career.  Your values should have good alignment with your employer-really.  Anything less is a mirage.

I see the following as great practice for the art of not forgetting:

  1. Your spouse has stuck with you for ten years-good times and bad.  Who else has done this for you?  Once a week for the next three months, spend five minutes reviewing all the ways he or she has been there for you.
  2. Maybe you're super successful in your career.  Success is almost a given for you.  Do same exercise as in #1 and think about when you needed help double-bad.
  3. Maybe you have friends that surround you.  Everyone wants to hang around.  Do the same exercise as in #1 and #2, and think about how many people would stick around if all you had was your name.

The above will create a habit of not forgetting, and maybe more importantly create an attitude focused on humility.  Isn't that what you want?

I started to write this post as a one sentence remembrance to those who lost their lives on 9/11/2001.  The sentence went like this:

    "I haven't forgotten 9/11/2001 or the people who lost their lives."

Seems the art of not forgetting is more important than I first thought.  

Doing What You Love

The title of this post is near and dear to my heart.  I know that's not a surprise for many of you.

It's funny how things come full circle in life.  This piece from Marshall Goldsmith's blog is from an article he wrote for Fast Company a few years ago.  When I first read the piece, I was evaluating hard my future and whether what I was doing was a love affair.  I am pleased that I can bring it to you now. 

Marshall's words added much clarity to my journey.  I will be forever grateful.

Good News vs. Bad News

Do managers have a problem with hearing bad news?  I know you're chuckling right now. But they really should welcome bad news with open arms. 

Bad news can do the following if we let it:

  • Sober us up and give us a sense of reality – We crave and worship good news because we see it as the only thing to make us happy.  If you've read my blog before, you know how I feel about happiness-it's based on a choice that only you can make.
  • Help us understand who is really interested in making things better – those who like to kiss ass won't be comfortable here.  People who only deliver good news are not helping.  Leaders who only want followers who deliver good news are drinking a poisonous cocktail.
  • Help us discover our true leadership level – if you want to know how good a leader is, observe and take notes when bad news is delivered.
  • Makes us question silence – a friend of mine gave his employer some bad news about a new customer and was cautioned about it.  Don't know if they didn't like his tone or timing, but his employer didn't want to hear it.  It made me think about all those employees that don't say anything.  What do you think their level of engagement is?
  • Helps us find the next breakthrough – isn't that what all organizations want?

How to Trust a Leader

There is more than one way to know if you can trust a leader. But one key way is find their crucibles.  If leader isn’t willing to talk about them or can’t seem to remember any, a red flag should go up in your mind.


Teddy Roosevelt had some penetrating thoughts on leaders who seemed to have escaped suffering:


“I have never in my life envied a human being who led an easy life; I have envied a great many people who led difficult lives and led them well.”

We Are Fragile

We are fragile.  Mentally, emotionally, and spiritually.  I know some won’t go here with me, but let’s not pretend that it doesn’t apply.  So wherever you are now, give yourself room to be open.


This post came to me after hearing about a tragedy.  One where hope was lost in one person’s heart and mind. 


So, since we’re all leaders, let’s consider the following:

  • Everyone who hears the words of your voice has the potential of catching a virus.  The virus is you.
  • If you think that human beings were designed to endure harsh words, commands, and the like, I would beg you to reconsider or resign.
  • You may be the only person someone believes in.  Therefore, continue to inspire no matter how much it costs you.
  • If your agenda does not allow you to purposely rub off on those who follow you, then throw out the agenda.  You’re in the legacy building business, whether you know it or not.
  • If you’re helping people realize their dreams, don’t stop there, get into reproduction and replication.
  • Don’t forget the forgotten.
  • Leadership implies responsibility, not privilege (thank you Peter Drucker).
  • Your story is worth telling, so don’t keep it to yourself.

Could you bring the light back to people who see only darkness.  I’m not talking about changing people, just showing a brilliant light and letting the chips fall where they may.


My prayers go out to those today who’ve lost hope.