Category: Leadership Development

Conspiring Circumstances

Rain  


Talked to my friend Robin this week and we discussed the idea of conspiring circumstances.  You know, the things in life and work that always seem to come up to mess up.  It used to vex me, but it doesn’t any longer.


Some years ago, ironically, when I slaved in , I always saw circumstances as things that would eventually be eradicated (like polio or the black plague).  But my naive leadership ways kept me from understanding the role circumstances play in this motion picture called life.  Thankfully, I got older and wiser.  I began to understand that it would be better to expect conspiring circumstances, than to be shocked by their appearances.


The key is expecting them-really.  I’m not recommending paranoia or always looking over your shoulder.  But I am recommending a retro-view of your life to discover what part circumstances have played in the scenes of life.  Hopefully, you’re the better for the experience.


We’re so obsessed in our culture with being happy, being secure or arriving at some destination.  If you hold onto those desires, you’ll be dismayed and sad when circumstances come on to thwart you.  Listen, I’m not saying that you can’t be happy or secure.  Just remember the seasonal nature of things.

  • It should be a new paradigm where you accept that there will be times of unhappiness (which can actually lead to greater happiness).
  • It should be a new paradigm that says security is best found in risk, not some idea that you can set up controls to make life safe.
  • It should be a new paradigm that says the ride is infinitely more important than the destination.  Focusing exclusively on the destination causes a missed life.

So the next time you get that promotion and the applause is uproarious, stop and remember how circumstances can, and always will, conspire as you make your way through.

To Blog or Not to Blog

When I spoke to the OWL group last week, there was some conversation around corporate blogging.  The substance of those conversations were mainly around the lack of understanding about blogging-specific to organizations taking the leap . 


In my speech I referenced a study from Forrester Research that I found on Lois Kelley’s blog.  You can look at her post here.  The study brought to light what’s wrong with corporate blogs.  Namely, they’re bad.


Here’s what I think is wrong with many corporate blogs, and how to make them better:

  1. The sites are too institutionalized.  It’s as if risk is the black plague.  If HR (for an internal blog), Communications, and Legal are hovering at every turn, you probably are just writing press releases.  Which, as we know, kills conversation.  My recommendationis to embrace risk and change the world.  Stop playing it safe.  And by the way, your organization will make more money too.
  2. Many corporations are afraid of community.  A consistent refrain in my conversations last week with the OWL folks revealed organizations being fearful of negative comments from employees or customers.  My recommendation is to remember that your organization is already being talked about, so why not be in front of the conversation vs. behind it?  Employees and customers might be inspired by an action like this.
  3. Organizations just want to be hip.  Someone at a conference told the CEO to get into social media, and an edict was formed.  It made for good talking points, but lacked commitment and desire.  My recommendationis to not start something you don’t really want to do.  Stakeholders get real suspicious of fashion.
  4. The wrong person is doing the writing.  Without guidance on the why and how, a blog can be a very stale affair.  My recommendation is to consult with us and take a look at this post from Nina Simosko on communication.  She gives a wonderful example of effective writing in a blog.
  5. No passion.  I’ve been asked by more than a few people about where I find things to write about.  It’s an easy answer to give; I’m very passionate about what I write about.  Therefore, it runs through me like a raging river.  Shouldn’t every organization have a similar state of mind and heart?  My recommendation is to check the pulse, go back (if needed) to where you started, and then reignite the passion.  

Ode to Dr. Mike

It seems appropriate to do one last post on health this week. I’ve given glimpses of my thoughts on good health, but it wouldn’t be complete without giving a nod to my family doctor.  Dr. Mike is an MD, but one who sees healthcare as a partnership between he and the patient.  In other words, he can’t be the fix for everything, I have to manage my eating, my exercise, my stress management.


The most important part of my “partnership” with Dr. Mike, is the learning.


When I first began seeing Dr. Mike in the Fall of 2003 he gave me some radical advice (at least I thought at the time).  He told me to do some type of exercise daily.  It was radical because I was knee deep in the hoopla of my corporate America experience.  I thought I didn’t have that type of time, nor did I find exercise as intriguing as trying to conquer the world.  Fortunately I learned (still learning).


It’s funny how some seeds of advice are planted long before we understand the importance.  I’m fortunate to have a doctor like Mike.


Here are some things I’ve learned from Dr. Mike:

  • Your health is a gift, better take care of it.
  • Your body was designed to move, so you’d better get moving.
  • Some times you need to just tough it out.
  • Start exercise early in life.
  • Laziness is a dangerous habit.
  • Watch what you eat and what’s in what you eat.
  • Talking about better health does nothing to improve your health.

  

Going for the Big, While Missing the Small

Regardless of your endeavor, you probably have at one time or another thought about hitting it big.  Natural as the air you breathe it seems.  In many respects big is a good thing-if it is a part of your destiny.  For example, Nelson Mandela was meant to have worldwide notoriety and focus.  He was the right man for the journey South Africa was in.  It's also quite a statement how he released power, while some of his contemporaries held (and are still holding) on.  See Robert Mugabe and Zimbabwe on this.  In an ironic way leadership plays out like this everyday in organizations across the globe.

So as we hear the music playing our tune, it's easy to embrace the big. 

I've been asked about Oprah, about fame, about money, about feeling the love.  But rarely am I asked about the input, the mission, or the pain.  Maybe there's no surprise here, since we are enamored with the output.  If I were not careful, I could easily miss the small while going for the big.  Thankfully, humility is now in my blood work.  Wasn't always this way.

Here's why the small is important:

  1. Hitting the big is very temporal.  Hitting the small refines your soul.
  2. The small people are the biggest people.
  3. Those who are only fascinated by the big will leave you in a heartbeat when the party is over.
  4. The small allows you to serve from a perspective of reality and measurable outcome.
  5. The small will stay with you come good or bad.  The small knows dedication.
  6. The small will pave a way for greatness.
  7. The small reminds you (daily) that life truly is a moment by moment game.
  8. The small will not detour you from your destiny.
  9. Customers are always found and served in the small.

How Do You Hire Talent?

I found this at one of Guy Kawasaki’s Twitter posts.  It’s Malcolm Gladwell speaking at the New
Yorker’s Stories from the Near Future conference back in May.  His speech revolves around our antiquated approach to hiring talent.  You can view the speech here.  Mr. Gladwell makes some great points, but I will allow you to glean that on your own.


Here are my thoughts on the matter:

  • Organizations have spent too much time and money on removing all doubt. 
  • Organizations don’t use leadership to “size” talent up.
  • Organizations don’t know what system they’re built on (thank you Michelle).
  • Organizations need to teach and hold managers accountable for evaluating talent.
  • Organizations need to decide what value they place on people-really.

I know you may be thinking that the above has been said before.  And you would be right.  Nothing new under the sun as once been said.  But here’s something to consider:


A friend once asked me, during a time of great struggle/learning, how I knew if the lessons learned would stick.  I told him that sometimes God has to orchestrate such winds upon our life-tree that our roots go so deep that we never turn back.  I’m living proof of this.  Maybe this applies to organizations too. 


We’re not short on data that tells us to change, but short on character and courage to move forward in change.

Meet Mr. Greatness

There is much talk today about greatness.  We observe the pro athelete or the Oscar winning actress and proclaim greatness.  Most of the praise lands on skills and performance.  I read an interview with Will Smith where he stated that his talent was slightly above-average, but his work ethic was off the charts.  How refreshing a perspective.  


As you look at your work and life does any of the output reflect greatness?  If you’re quick to say no because you’re not famous or financially well-off, you would be wrong.  For example, Mother Teressa would be a failure in the eyes of some, since she wasn’t full of earthly goods.  It’s all relative to the story (you life) you’ve been given to live out.  Be of good cheer and take the weight off you shoulders.  Greatness is applicable to everyone.


But first there are some tests.


Mr. Greatness (my term) wants to know if you truly are committed to the greatness you express on your lips.  It makes total sense when you consider how our culture tosses words around as if their made of pixie dust. 


So consider the following tests:

  1. When you’ve been asked to do something outside your comfort zone, did you do it?
  2. When asked what you think by someone with more power than you, did you say what you really thought?
  3. When you had a choice between money and another human being (see the DNA here), did you choose the person?
  4. When your customer would have been better suited with a product you didn’t offer, did you part ways for their benefit or did you try to change their mind?
  5. When someone asked you to follow a vision that made no sense, but felt compelling in your very core, did you move forward?

Obviously, there could be more questions Mr. Greatness might ask.  But I think you get the picture.  Greatness is a way of life that doesn’t come easy.  The great thing is Mr. Greatness wants to be your friend.  But he won’t force himself on you, the choice is all yours.

What’s DNA Got To Do With It?

I wrote last week about DNAand leadership.  I got some quizzical looks when I discussed this with a few people.  So in the spirit of better explaining myself, the following outlines what DNA has to do with leading people:

  1. Leading people is sacred.  Therefore, that which makes each person unique (their DNA applies here) cannot be disconnected from the leadership process.  I know some managers might roll their eyes at the idea of seeing every follower as unique.  But reality says you have to see people as they really are.  For too long we've asked employees/followers to "check" their voice at the door.  Most of the time this has been done to make the leader's job easier.  Of course that's never verbalized, but true anyway.  Being a good leader was never designed to be easy. 
  2. Leadership = Responsibility.  You can't get around the fact that to lead, is to be responsible for/to others.  Unfortunately, many leaders take leading too lightly…accepting or seeking positions like shopping for a suit at Nordstrom.  Think about the responsibility before accepting a promotion to lead people.
  3. There's a difference between management and leadership.  When a manager is allowed or incented to manage, not lead, followers will be left in the dust.  Managers who don't lead well embrace tasks, not people.
  4. Leadership creates a stress of soul.  It was said of Winston Churchill that he carried a "stress of soul" throughout WWII.  This stress is rooted in a love of, and a vision for, those following you.  It's not romantic, it's not familial, but it is a deep caring for the well-being of those following.  In our age of quarter-by-quarter vision, it is rare to see this.  Tough times reveal whether we carry this trait in our leadership. 
  5. Legacy is defined by our treatment of people.  Whether you know it or not, history will judge your legacy by how you treated people.  This is especially true for those who lead people.  From my own perspective this is a daunting and powerful reality.  I pray that I have lived up to the standard of each person's unique voice I've led.

Why Connect?

If you're going to connect (in your work or life) with someone, make sure you're doing it to help/give.  If you find yourself interested only because of what you can gain, then stop.

True lasting rewords only come to those who seek to give and help.

Think about that the next time you meet a client or when a new relationship is about to be birthed.

What Tiger Woods Teaches Us

Tiger 1

Congratulations to Tiger Woods for winning the U.S. Open today-with great drama.

But more importantly, here's what Tiger Woods teaches us:

  1. Every success contains some elements of failure.
  2. Number one should produce humility.
  3. You want your competition to be at their best.
  4. You get what you put into it.
  5. Luck follows the devoted and dedicated.
  6. Everyone needs a coach.
  7. Enjoy the ride more than the destination.
  8. Know your value.
  9. Prepare for the second lifetime.
  10. Don't just watch me (Tiger), do from me.