Category: Leadership Development

Found by the Reason

Be found by the reason and:

  • Your career will take off in ways you never imagined.
  • Your employer (even if they don’t know or understand it) will be pleased.
  • People will begin to ask questions.
  • A sense of purpose will pervade.
  • Networking becomes important because you have a story to tell.
  • You’ll discover that leadership is not soft.
  • Candor will become a tool.
  • Money and things will become less important.
  • There will be a test and you must face it.

You can choose to pass on acting on the above list.  It truly is an optional proposition.  Don’t believe in the hype/marketing that tells you to keep things on the surface.  Your circle of influence (customers, friends, family, etc.) wants more.

An Inconvenient Truth-Really

Having trouble in life and/or career? 

Think about the following:

  • Trouble is like fire in the furnace that removes impurities from gold-your gold.
  • Trouble is like a plow to soil being prepared for seed planting-seeds of a great life.
  • Trouble is like an inconvenient truth haunting you to move out of what’s familiar and comfortable.
  • Trouble and pain are relatives, and they both are megaphones for a deaf world (thanks to C.S. Lewis for that analogy).
  • Trouble is like a laser in a master surgeon’s hands that focuses exactly where the need is.
  • Trouble should move you to ask for help.
  • Trouble is like the rainstorm that precedes the sun and rainbow.

Why We Follow the Leader

In America we are in the midst of an election cycle that’s interesting to say the least.  The following is from an article I wrote last November.  I believe sets an appropriate tone.

I’m always fascinated by how leaders (good and bad) use words to get people to follow. It’s a very powerful reality when you think about it. What’s critical is why a leader wants you to follow. Often it is not the subject (global warming, quarterly profits, keeping a relationship going, etc.) at hand. Sometimes the leader will use certain words to connect with what motivates you. Sometimes the leader will only use words that they think you want to hear. Bad news is never far behind words used to please your itching ears. For example; “The plant is still viable and no shut-down is in the foreseeable future.”

Leaders and followers have one thing in common; both tend to wear masks. No where is this more prevalent than in the corporate landscape. When you have that much power and money floating around, you might as well call it a Greek Tragedy.  Some masks are used to hide scars that have been inside for years, while others are used to deceive. Regardless of the intent, masks are not a good thing.

Consider former Vice President Al Gore. Why does he want you to follow him on his crusade to save the planet? He has stated that it’s about the spiritual and the moral. Maybe it is…maybe it is something completely different. In a recent article on CNN/Money.com, Mr. Gore said it’s the single most important thing we (citizens of planet earth I guess) should be focusing on. You may agree or disagree, but you can’t deny the power behind the words he uses.

One of the greatest hungers plaguing us today is our desire for authenticity. We’ve become suspicious because we’ve been sold the bill of goods more times than we care to remember. Some have followed the road of cynicism, while others are still looking for this elusive bird.
No human becoming can know for sure what sits inside of another person’s heart (good reason not to be in the judgment business). So why not do some deeper looking before you decide to follow.

Here are some tips to act on:

• Ask the leader/leaders a lot of why questions. For example; "Why do you want this event/outcome to occur?" Then follow up with a why question to their answer. If the leader seems put off or disturbed (watch their eyes on this one), it might be a sign of insincerity.
• Don’t follow someone/something for fame and fortune. Those who do things for those two reasons are dwelling in the Land of Fake.
• Make sure your values/motives line up with the cause or leader.
• Look at the company the leader keeps. If they hang with devil, they normally will act like him.
• Seek the advice of someone who isn’t afraid to tell you the truth. What they say may hurt, but it could keep you from going over a cliff.
• Watch the body language. For example, observe the blinking of the eyes. If the leader blinks at a high rate, he or she might not be fully committed to what their speaking of.

Money Ain’t Your Friend

Money ain’t your friend.  Easy for me to say, since I’m working inside of a start-up.  You might think I’m about to rant about all my troubles with funding, accounts receivable and the like.  But that’s not what this post is about-at all.  Last Friday I wrote about Money and Security and I want to give you some more information to help your view of money.  And you don’t have to leave what you do in order for everything to be ok.  I writing to your eyes and the window it creates.

Money is a tool and should never be allowed to become your master.  It should never be allowed to become a part of your identity or sense of worth.  It should be a slave in the hands of a person of high character.

For the better of my soul and my family, I learned this the hard and root way.  The root way means the change goes so deep there’s no turning back.  By the way, the root way hurts.  Experience is certainly wonderful and yet cruel (feels like that at times).

In my days in corporate America I only turned away for a moment and I was hooked.  I was young, ambitious and very confident (a lethal mix).  When success merges in, it creates a dangerous love affair.  I wasn’t paying attention and very few in the organization loved me enough to say a single word.  Especially those who were enjoying the party my drive provided them. 

Part of my motivation in writing the book came from not wanting everyone else around or far from me miss the above.  The Secret (chapter) titled; Don’t Chase Success is most relevant here.  I know I can’t save the world, but I can (potentially) change the world.  If I didn’t feel this way I wouldn’t be waking up everyday doing MMA against Goliath.

So here’s why money ain’t your friend:

  1. If left unchecked/mastered, it will drive a wedge between you and those you love.  Money left to it’s own devices loves control and total loyalty.  That leaves no room for love.  My wife, during my days in corporate America, would softly consent when I said I needed to push a little further and higher.  I didn’t realize what I was trading.
  2. Money comes and it goes.  Bill and Warren have traded here.
  3. Money will tell you that small desires are far more important than dreams.
  4. When money becomes your identity, you begin to mask insecurities and pretend that a new this or that will make you feel better.  It will, but only for a moment.
  5. All of these dangers apply to the poor and rich.
  6. If you don’t make money the slave, it will turn the table on you…slowly.
  7. Destiny is compromised when money is allowed have it’s way.

You must understand that this post is about a choice.  You can change your view if you want to.  You want to, don’t you?

Money and Security

In our careers (especially in America) we've been given the false impression that money equals security.  In many ways, we've turned the impression into hyperbole.

Money can provide security-the temporary kind.  But it lacks the cement that so many want it to be.  How many times have you said to yourself; "once I pay this off" or "when the stock hits X, I'm going to cash-out."  Something in you just feels better and safer at the thought.  It's ok, we've all been guilty of doing this.  A natural hope to say the least.

Sadly, we give so much attention to security of the temporary nature, that we ignore the security that matters-and lasts.  Like the man or woman who complains of no career options, while three recruiters wait on hold.  Our pursuits inside our careers and out may be the main culprits.

Here are what I consider to be the pursuits that provide long-term security:

  • Your work.  Not your employer or business (for the entrepreneurs).  Your work goes wherever you go.
  • Love (the real variety stays even when you find yourself on the outs).
  • Your destiny.  Once you find it, I can say this from experience, your destiny will never leave you alone.
  • Perseverance.  The vital element of a no-giving-up mindset.
  • Faith.  The belief in the unseen.  The eyes that can see a better future.

The pursuits above will not be mastered overnight-in a career or life-and will create some short term pain.  But I am an endorser who is living out the reality.  Ironically, if you embraced the five pursuits above, you'd find all the money you need because your definition of value and security would be rightly ordered.

Go ahead and cross the Rubicon.

Podcast with The Engaging Brand

As promised, you can click here to check out my interview (Escaping the corporate rut) with Anna Farmery of The Engaging Brand.  It would be an understatement to say that I enjoyed my interview with Anna.  She’s a great interviewer and host. 

Listening or watching myself is not easy endeavor for me (I’m my biggest critic), but after listening to the podcast I was most pleased about how the content reflected what I most wanted communicated about "waking up."

Thanks so much, Anna.

Help Me With Questions

Ed Batista has a wonderful post today on asking questions. 

It’s easy to forget in our age of fast marketing and quick hit wonders, that asking questions implies you have a desire to listen.  I once read a column by Marshall Goldsmith where he put a couple of individuals to the test on listening.  Basically, he asked them to be silent for thirty seconds and not think about anything.  As you would imagine, it was a difficult test to pass.  But it revealed how effective they would be at listening to another human being without being distracted by a competing set of agendas.

I believe you must examine your heart motivation to determine whether you’re truly listening. Leadership development, career development, and people development flow from this river.  If this quarter’s numbers are all you care about (your choice, good or bad), then either tell the speaker its not a good time.  Anything less is counter-genuine.

The idea is to be authentic in the moment, your speaker expects that of you.

Why Leaders Must Hold Their Followers Accountable

Earlier we spoke of how leaders must love people.  It’s a very true statement.  Leaders must also hold their followers accountable. 

Holding another human being accountable (expecting an outcome and carrying out a consequence for the behavior manifested) is tough.  Many leaders avoid this like a plague.  The best leaders see accountability as an integral part of wanting the best for those that follow.  They also know the follower won’t grow without accountability.

As I outline some solid reasons for holding followers, in career and out, accountable, please remember that motivations are everything.  If you’re not really for the person, then don’t bother with this.  Maybe you should ask whether you and/or the person you’re not for should be in the position they’re in.

Here is a brief list of why leaders must hold their followers accountable:

  • Assuming a bond has been formed, it will increase the chances that the follower will desire to hit the mark of what has been asked of them.
  • True growth (financial, mental, innovation) occurs where some one is lovingly checking to see how things went.
  • See the subprime mess to get an example of an accountability vacuum.
  • No accountability will lead to a lack of respect from your most faithful followers.  By the way, these folks might not say a word to you about a loss of respect.
  • Committed people want and need accountability.

Why Leaders Must Love People

Wrote this post a while ago, but the relevance still resonates.  It’s intended for the customer service rep. or the senior vice president of sales.

I’m always fascinated by organizations that appoint, or anoint, influencers (leaders) who don’t really love people.  Yes, loving people is essential to leading people.  For all of Corporate America’s talk of the importance of people, the results speak to a different reality.  If asked, most workers would tell you that the organization’s leaders are focused on an audience of one…themselves.  Don’t get me wrong, I am no populist, but those who influence should remember that power flows through them and not from them.  Leaders need to use their power to love.

Some time ago, I was in a conversation with a friend who was involved in a management restructure.  It was striking what she observed in the early days of that change.  The leaders were very focused on the work and process.  But sadly, they looked at the people as merely a means to an end.  The tragic part was that they were unconscious of the message they were sending.  The working dead at work.  Being a part of the working dead is bad enough for the individual worker, but it is lethal when a leader of people falls asleep.

In the end, loving people will keep us focused on the what is most important.  Loving the people we lead is the most important "thing" in any type of organization.

Leadership and Eliot Spitzer

Spitzer_2

I’m sure you’ve heard the news. 

This post is not political.  This post is about leaders (like Eliot Spitzer) and those who follow him/her.  Mr. Spitzer’s family, specifically his wife, have been failed.  Not in a small way.  If Mr. Spitzer had forgotten an anniversary, you might accuse him of being forgetful or neglectful.  This however, is much greater in magnitude.

The picture of Mr. Spitzer’s wife is telling.  Is she just another woman grappling with a man who betrayed?  Is she a woman who wonders what’s next?  More than likely, she is dealing with those questions and more.  Followers are left with the backwash of the leader’s poor decisions.

Ms. Spitzer was meant to follow her husband, as Mr. Spitzer was meant to follow his wife.  Leadership flows both ways in a marriage.  For example, Mr. Sptizer asked his wife to follow him as he rose through the ranks of New York politics.  I imagine (can’t know for sure) she did because she trusted him and the words that fell from his mouth.  When a leader violates trust, tragedy is not far behind.

Up til now you might be thinking I’ve been pretty hard on Mr. Spitzer.  I’m not.  Mr. Spitzer is a warning sign for all of us who consciously lead.  And that’s why I’m using his story.  I see great similarities between Mr. Spitzer and organizational leaders who blow the smoke of "we care" and "people are our most important asset" when they know that lay-offs are coming.  Followers are priceless and fragile, we’d all do well to remember that fact. 

Here’s a list of what might have caused Mr. Spitzer to fall:

  • Arrogance.  When leaders begin to see themselves above it all, they get sloppy and soft.
  • Secret sins tend to find you, especially when you’re not looking.
  • He failed to manage his commitments.  I assume he made vows to his wife on their wedding day.
  • He missed or forgot that we make choices, and then our choices make us.
  • Paul Weller wrote that lust and loneliness can drive our behaviors.
  • He surrounded himself with people who were impressed by titles and power.
  • No authentic advisors were in his inner circle.
  • He didn’t understand the reality of seed planting.