Friday, December 29, 2017
Great Leaders. . .
Care for the good of the entirety vs. a select few.
Don't always have to be right. . .but are unquenchable in their thirst to do the right thing.
Value, cherish diversity.
Conduct their business so that people want to follow them.
Lead with integrity.
Build teams; build consensus.
Focus; but also have the innate ability to look at challenges and opportunities from a wide array of differing viewpoints.
Eschew extremes.
Value strong economics; recognize that strong economics are based in ethics and the good of the whole.
Say they are sorry.
Forgive and move on.
Are humble
Are selfless.
Let's be great leaders.
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My book "Courageous Questions, Confident Leaders" is available on Amazon Kindle.
Friday, December 22, 2017
About Family. . .
Somewhere around age 18, when my nuclear family just kind of melted away, I adopted the idea that there are all kinds of family. For me, my close friends became my family: my shelter, my comfort, my confidantes.
Throughout the years I came to recognize that family takes on many different forms and definitions, both in the nuclear sense and in the larger sense. Family is those with whom we surround ourselves. It is those in whom we confide. It is those who shelter us from not only the weather, but emotional storms. It is those with whom we celebrate. Those with whom we joke.
It is those that care.
And there is family everywhere.
I recognize that I have many families. First and foremost, my nuclear family which is irreplaceable. But I still have my family of very good friends. And for the purpose of a leadership blog, let me say I few words about my work family.
Throughout the years, I have been so privileged and lucky and honored to work alongside some of the very best people I could imagine. We disagreed. We agreed. We listened. We accomplished.
We worked hard.
And in no small measure, we recognized that we became bonded together.
The work family is a great gift. If you don't have one - find one. If you can't find one - create one. How? Be vulnerable. Be authentic. Be truthful. Be caring. Be there.
Because families are a great gift indeed.
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My book "Courageous Questions, Confident Leaders" is available on Amazon Kindle.
Throughout the years I came to recognize that family takes on many different forms and definitions, both in the nuclear sense and in the larger sense. Family is those with whom we surround ourselves. It is those in whom we confide. It is those who shelter us from not only the weather, but emotional storms. It is those with whom we celebrate. Those with whom we joke.
It is those that care.
And there is family everywhere.
I recognize that I have many families. First and foremost, my nuclear family which is irreplaceable. But I still have my family of very good friends. And for the purpose of a leadership blog, let me say I few words about my work family.
Throughout the years, I have been so privileged and lucky and honored to work alongside some of the very best people I could imagine. We disagreed. We agreed. We listened. We accomplished.
We worked hard.
And in no small measure, we recognized that we became bonded together.
The work family is a great gift. If you don't have one - find one. If you can't find one - create one. How? Be vulnerable. Be authentic. Be truthful. Be caring. Be there.
Because families are a great gift indeed.
Like it? Share it!
My book "Courageous Questions, Confident Leaders" is available on Amazon Kindle.
Friday, December 15, 2017
This. One. Word
Upon entering the Paramount Theatre, the feeling of excitement was palpable. When the lights went down and the cast members of "So You Think You Can Dance," took the stage, the audience's anticipation was rewarded with a stage rich with excitement and passion.
Exuberance.
Look it up on Bing: it is the quality of being full of energy, excitement and cheerfulness.
It's a word that we should think about and activate more often; these are the key qualities (energy, excitement. . .and yes, even cheerfulness) that should think about bringing to our work and our lives.
Exuberance.
Look it up on Bing: it is the quality of being full of energy, excitement and cheerfulness.
It's a word that we should think about and activate more often; these are the key qualities (energy, excitement. . .and yes, even cheerfulness) that should think about bringing to our work and our lives.
At times we confuse "professional decorum" with somber and staid. Somber and staid don't win the day. They don't recruit friends. People don't want to follow somber and staid. Why? Because the very words lack passion.
Foundationally, we need to be honest with ourselves. Are we, or can we, be genuinely excited about our work? If we can't, forget about exuberance and passion and all that good stuff. . .if we are genuinely unhappy with our work, then we are smiling through gritted teeth. . .and seriously, we need to fix it or move on.
Upon examination, however - if we can find that we really love what we do - then let it show! I'm not talking about hauling out the pom-poms and turning cartwheels - but I am talking about letting our excitement for our team and the tasks at hand be not only genuine, but on display as well.
Why? We will be happier. Too often we fall into the trap of "work is work and work is not to be liked or enjoyed." This is deadly. If we enjoy our work, we need to celebrate that work and those that contribute to the work.
Why? Because our teams will be happier - they will want to follow us. Seriously, no one really wants to follow a funeral director - you know what's at the end of the line. But, we all want to follow someone who exudes genuine interest and excitement for what is at hand. It is inspiration.
Exuberance.
This one word, if activated, can make all the difference.
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My book "Courageous Questions, Confident Leaders" is available on Amazon Kindle.
Friday, December 8, 2017
The Duellists
At the age of approximately 12, I was wedged between my mother and another formidable force, let's call her Agnes Joy, in the Sunday morning church service. The pipe organ swelled into the intro of one of those anthem hymns, not quite "Onward Christian Soldiers" but, you get the idea. It started in the first verse, my Mother, a soprano, started singing more loudly than Agnes Joy. Not to be outdone, Agnes Joy, another soprano, escalated her volume so that she was just a little bit louder than my mother.
There it was - the gauntlet was thrown down. Each diva, note by note, started singing more loudly than the other. I caught them giving each other the side-eye, accompanied by superior smirks that indicated that they were out to prove themselves better than their competition.
By the time they swung into the third verse I swear you could hear both of them gasping for air. The veins on their necks were starting to bulge. It wasn't the hymn that mattered to them. It wasn't the remainder of the congregation. All that mattered was the imagined win if one was louder than the other. They were just two divas duking it for the privilege of being heard.
Sound familiar? I've seen this in the workplace - have you? Two people get in a competition or a contretemps - and it starts escalating. Suddenly, the rest of the workplace doesn't matter any longer. The work doesn't matter any more. Any hint that their actions may be negatively influencing their peers and team members vanishes. It's all about the duel.
And that is really too bad. Success means that team members are focused on the work and on each other. Internal competition can quickly slide from "Isn't this a fun game we're playing?" to "You are my most mortal enemy and I need to destroy you." Obviously, the latter isn't good for anyone save for perhaps the individuals who are truly the competition; those external forces that threaten the health of your enterprise.
Beware the internal Duellists; they do absolutely nothing positive for anybody (including themselves - even though they may not recognize this). Internal harmony, recognition of the common good and respect for all - that's what wins the day.
Like it? Share it!
My book "Courageous Questions, Confident Leaders" is available on Amazon Kindle.
There it was - the gauntlet was thrown down. Each diva, note by note, started singing more loudly than the other. I caught them giving each other the side-eye, accompanied by superior smirks that indicated that they were out to prove themselves better than their competition.
By the time they swung into the third verse I swear you could hear both of them gasping for air. The veins on their necks were starting to bulge. It wasn't the hymn that mattered to them. It wasn't the remainder of the congregation. All that mattered was the imagined win if one was louder than the other. They were just two divas duking it for the privilege of being heard.
Sound familiar? I've seen this in the workplace - have you? Two people get in a competition or a contretemps - and it starts escalating. Suddenly, the rest of the workplace doesn't matter any longer. The work doesn't matter any more. Any hint that their actions may be negatively influencing their peers and team members vanishes. It's all about the duel.
And that is really too bad. Success means that team members are focused on the work and on each other. Internal competition can quickly slide from "Isn't this a fun game we're playing?" to "You are my most mortal enemy and I need to destroy you." Obviously, the latter isn't good for anyone save for perhaps the individuals who are truly the competition; those external forces that threaten the health of your enterprise.
Beware the internal Duellists; they do absolutely nothing positive for anybody (including themselves - even though they may not recognize this). Internal harmony, recognition of the common good and respect for all - that's what wins the day.
Like it? Share it!
My book "Courageous Questions, Confident Leaders" is available on Amazon Kindle.
Friday, December 1, 2017
The Dangers of "They"
"They." It is an indiscriminate, often poorly defined mass of whomever upon which we are able to pin a lot of blame and escape ownership. As in:
I don't know why we can't do it, all I know is that "they" told me we can't.
"They" don't get it/respect me/respect us.
"They" simply don't understand and never will.
"They" tell us what we need to do and we just do it - that's all.
Sometimes substitutes are used for "they." "Upper management." "The Government." "The administration." The intent is still the same; it is the assignment of blame to a mass with no face.
It is the vagueness and sweeping generalities of the statements that offer no assistance toward building a better world. It is as if we can abdicate all responsibility and any sense of ownership in an Orwellian sense if we use the word "they."
So first of all, if this general assignment of blame is to escape responsibility - it needs to stop. It doesn't make anyone feel any better; it doesn't right any wrongs.
Secondly, if there is a case of justice to be made, we need to utilize better semantics.
Specifically - who is it? And what exactly did they say? And who can verify what they said? And are we sure that the impact equals the intent? If we can answer these questions, then we can proceed to correcting a wrong with greater veracity. And if we disagree, then we know whom to disagree with. . .and perhaps we could have a conversation with that person(s) and present our side of the story.
The other difficulty with "they" is that it is accompanied by a spoken or unspoken "us." The usage immediately draws a line in the sand and whether it is a social, workplace or governmental matter, we are seldom well-served by such delineation.
The vague assignment of blame. The generalizations. These things enable us to talk big, but the impacts are extremely short. If you really want to solve a problem, don't hide behind these clouds. "They," in fact, is often all of us. Let's be more precise. Let's be more collaborative. Let's talk about what we can accomplish together.
My book "Courageous Questions, Confident Leaders" is available on Amazon Kindle
I don't know why we can't do it, all I know is that "they" told me we can't.
"They" don't get it/respect me/respect us.
"They" simply don't understand and never will.
"They" tell us what we need to do and we just do it - that's all.
Sometimes substitutes are used for "they." "Upper management." "The Government." "The administration." The intent is still the same; it is the assignment of blame to a mass with no face.
It is the vagueness and sweeping generalities of the statements that offer no assistance toward building a better world. It is as if we can abdicate all responsibility and any sense of ownership in an Orwellian sense if we use the word "they."
So first of all, if this general assignment of blame is to escape responsibility - it needs to stop. It doesn't make anyone feel any better; it doesn't right any wrongs.
Secondly, if there is a case of justice to be made, we need to utilize better semantics.
Specifically - who is it? And what exactly did they say? And who can verify what they said? And are we sure that the impact equals the intent? If we can answer these questions, then we can proceed to correcting a wrong with greater veracity. And if we disagree, then we know whom to disagree with. . .and perhaps we could have a conversation with that person(s) and present our side of the story.
The other difficulty with "they" is that it is accompanied by a spoken or unspoken "us." The usage immediately draws a line in the sand and whether it is a social, workplace or governmental matter, we are seldom well-served by such delineation.
The vague assignment of blame. The generalizations. These things enable us to talk big, but the impacts are extremely short. If you really want to solve a problem, don't hide behind these clouds. "They," in fact, is often all of us. Let's be more precise. Let's be more collaborative. Let's talk about what we can accomplish together.
My book "Courageous Questions, Confident Leaders" is available on Amazon Kindle
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