The Crucible

A recent book made me rethink leadership development. It's entitled Crucibles of Leadership: How to Learn from Experience to be a Great Leader and is written by Robert J. Thomas. The author's premise is that one must encounter real "experiences" in their leadership roles to learn - not only about leadership but about themselves AND about how they learn. My freshmen recently took an inventory that told them how they learned (auditory, visual, kinesthetic) - but Thomas goes way beyond that. Learning how one learns can occur most effectively when one experiences a difficulty - reflects on how they weathered that difficulty - and can look from the outside on what they learned from that experience. Sound confusing? I think it is...and that is why so many people never embrace their leadership potential, because this is a difficult exercise.

What I most appreciated about Thomas' work is that he doesn't advocate having to jump out of airplanes (though I still want to do that) or having your company fail and close down (I don't want to do that). He provides the alternative of having to look in the mirror and reflect deeply on who you are and what you believe and WHY you are the way you are. While an individual may be able to engage in that type of behavior by themself, it is often easier with a mentor or coach who will hold you more accountable to your answers.

My crucibles have been many - but one comes to mind that shaped my leadership for years to come. I was a mere senior in high school (17 years old) and I was sitting on my church's worship committee. At a meeting in the early winter, I asked with a "know it all" attitude why we never did anything neat like a Tenebrae Service on Good Friday. My pastor, who was a young buck at the time, turned it back to my and said that if I thought that was a good idea, I should go ahead and plan one. In my arrogance, I said I would. 3 months later, St. John's Lutheran Church in E;lgin, Illinois had their first tenebrae service. I actually came back my freshman year in college to make sure it happened for a second year. As I reflect on that time, my pastor could easily have either dismissed the idea or said that he would do it himself...I could have backed down and said that I was too young or inexperienced or busy...the rest of the committee could have laughed at me and my idea. But I took the challenge - I was supported by others to see it through - and to this day I still open my mouth, suggest new ideas, and end up seeing them through.

So what is your leadership crucible? Can you name one? Do you have to find one? Have you put yourself in a position to have one? Do you need to find a coach who will help you identify that crucible? And most important, are you willing to be a LEARNER who is not afraid of the crucible and what it wil teach you - about leadership, about yourself, and about learning!

Leader, Know Thyself

I recently had a new friend take me through my Birkman report - this was the second time in the past 6 months that I have had this done. I took the inventory about three years ago through a friend who owns Compass Settings. This time, the owner of Strategic Positioning took me through the report, and it just made me smile to realize how closely the report told me who I really am.

For example: in the area of Esteem, the report told me that I tend to deal with others in an open manner, balanced with an insight into their feelings (that is very true - sometimes that keeps me from being more forthright when needed). The report also told me that in this area, I need the respect of key individuals in my life - and that they are genuinely aware of my feelings (again, very true - so much so that I will even ask for it at times). The report finally told me that when I do feel under-appreciated, I will tend to be shy and/or embarassed (again, very true, which seems counterintuitive to the type of person I am, but that's what happens).

So the question I keep asking is how does this knowledge of self affect (read improve) my leadership? Almost all of the literature in leadership discusses that the better the leader knows themself, the more authentic and open they can be with others...the more the leader is comfortable with their own leadership style, the easier it becomes for them to act...the better one understands what makes him or her the person they are, the more empathy they can have for those they lead...the more I know myself, the easier it is to put myself in situations to be at my best when called upon to lead.

One final example: in the area of Acceptance, my most effective behavior by far is being friendly and easy to know with a strong outgoing manner (yes, that is what most people would say about me). On the flip side, I NEED time alone or time with a few people to renew and energize (nothing better than a Saturday morning with a cup of coffee, and good book, and no one else around). Finally, the profile tells me that I can become impatient with group interaction and will tend to withdraw from time to time (you would be surprised how often I have to go and find a cup of coffee during a meeting).

SO - do you know yourself? When was the last time you took a significant inventory that told you who you really were? Are you ready to hear the good, bad and ugly about yourself (which is really just a picture of who you are)? And are you willing to sit down with someone who can help you develop into a better leader throug the use of this type of tool? If so, check out either of the two organizations above or google Birkman, Myers-Briggs, DISC, or other inventories of which you might be aware. And get ready to learn and grow!

The OZ Principle

Part of my Christmas reading plan was to get through a series of business books I had collected on recent trips to Half-Price Books. One of these was entitled The OZ Principle: Getting results through individual and organizational accountability. Written in 1994 by Connors, Smith and Hickman, the book outlines a way to think about accountability - and to rid oneself and ones' organization of the BLAME GAME.

The authors outline a way to achieve accountability throug a 4-step process:
1. See it (having the courage of the Lion)
2. Own it (having the heart of the Tin Woodsman)
3. Solve it (having the wisdom of the Scarecrow)
4. Do it (having the will of Dorothy)

Though it is cute (and perhaps even a bit trite), the book resonated with me to look more closely at how I get things done personally and organizationally. The authors often use the idea of "above-the-line" leadership. Dropping "below the line" means that we will fall into the VICTIM CYCLE where we ignore or deny problems, point the finger at others, cover our own tails, pass the buck, wait for others to tell us what to do, and often just wait and see what will happen. Above-the-line accountability sees it, owns it, solves it and does it.

So what does above the line leadership look like? A few examples from the book:
1. I model accountability and set an example
2. I recognize victim stories when I hear them
3. I use accouuntability as a way to empower others toward results
4. I expect people to coach me to get "above the line" when necessary

The rest - and much more - can be found in this little gem (which is available at a real discount through Amazon Books - especially used editions). Go ahead and get a copy - read it quickly - and then pass it on to a colleague. Yet another way to stay above-the-line!

fit leadership

Over the past 8 months, I have gone through the process of losing almost 50 lbs. Turning 49 this past May made me look at myself and say,"What do I want to do and be by the time I turn 50?" As I looked around me, I saw several people whom I admired who were both successful and fit. I began to put 2 and 2 together, and there began to be a realization that there might be a correlation between being fit and being successful. While I have yet to find detailed research on this topic, I did come across the book The Power of Full Engagement by Jim Loehr and Tony Schwartz (thanks to my friend Ron Kessler for the recommendation) to provide enough evidence to convince me to GET IN SHAPE! And so I did.

May & June - portion control (10 lbs lost)
July & August - South Beach Diet phases 1 & 2 (20 lbs lost)
September, October & November - exercise, portion control and South Beach phase 3 (15 lbs lost)

As I near the end of December I am trying to lose the final 5, and putting together an exercise routine that will keep me at my ideal weight. Why am I doing all of this? Three reasons:

1. If there is a connection between being fit and being successful, then I want to be fit
2. When acting as a representative of my institution to the public, I should look the image of being fit and successful
3. As a steward of the gifts God has given me, one of those gifts is my health and well-being

Leaders should be fit - not just to be more successful, but to set an example for others to follow. In addition, leaders need an extreme amount of energy to do what is required on a regular basis. Getting and staying fit is not a goal - it is a lifestyle. It has taken me 49 years to figure this out - I hope that others will not wait so long and get going to be fit - and stay fit - and LEAD!

the problem with caring for people

Everyone has always told me to care for people - "if you take care of your people, they will take care of you"..."people are your most important asset." You have probably all heard the phrases and, like me, would find it hard to argue against these adages of leadership. But let's consider the dark side of caring for people.

As a leader, who/what am I most reponsible to/for? Is it the employees? Is it the customer? Is it the stakeholder? OR - is it the institution itself? Consider the fact the one is hired to lead an institution - not people. People come and go - people disapoint - people are people. And yet, the institution remains. It is the institution that people connect with...it is the institution that is held up as the standard of excellence...it is the institution that is maligned when people do stupid things...and it is the institution that will remain when the employees, the customers and the leaders are all long gone.

As leaders, it is easy to get wrapped up in our people, especially when their personal issues begin to overwhelm them . The employee who is going through a tough time at home...the employee who is suffering from illness or addiction...the customer who is having trouuble paying their bills...the stakeholder of influence who has become an embarrasment. All of these issues demand our time and energy - and when we focus on these people, the institution can suffer. Let's face it, how much time and energy do we spend on those people who do their jobs well, go above and beyond the call of duty, and are never in our offices complaining? Do we ever wake up in the middle of the night thinking about them? Do we sit in meetings considering our next moves for our BEST people? Imagine for a moment if we, as leaders, devoted as much time and energy to those people who positively contribute to the institution as we do on those who negatively affect the institution?

Are people important? ABSOLUTELY! But our role as leaders is to care for the institution - its growth and its future. We cannot allow people (and all of their issues) to get in the way of that calling. When they do, measures need to be taken to minimize those distractions and work to change their behavior. If those measures fail, then our role as leaders is to help those people move on so that the institution can once again focus on its mission - and not solely on its people.

thankful leadership

On this weekend of thanksgiving, let's remember that leaders need to be thankful people. Nothing says "follow me" more than saying thank you to someone for a job well done. Stopping by an office and saying thank you reminds the people you lead that you not only notice what they do, but that their contribution is appreciated. A simple thank you can last someone days, weeks, or even months...but don't let it go that long.

Saying thank you seems so easy to do - and yet is often unused by leaders. What gets in the way?

• time - leaders get too busy to say thank you (meaning you are too busy to lead)
• pride - saying thank you may mean that people might be doing a better job than the leader (which they should be doing if you are actually leading)
• background - no one ever said thank you to the leader, so why should he or she say thank you to others? (get over yourself)
• expectations - some leaders assume that people should do their job because it is their job - a thank you should be saved for anything that is over and above expectations (get real)

Writing thank you notes seems to have gone our of fashion, but even email thank yous are better than nothing. How hard is it to sit down at the desk, write a quick thank you to someone you just saw doing something well, and hit the send button? Your thank you will go a long way in helping that worker be more motivated the next time around.

So on this weekend of Thanksgiving, be sure to give thanks - not for all the wonderful things you have, or even for the people you lead, but to those whom you lead...and don't forget to keep saying thank you throughout the year.

perspective

I've heard the adage that "perspective changes everything" but I wasn't sure I believed it - until last week. I was talking with a mentor of mine and happened to mention that I was going to be involved in an event I was not looking forward to - in fact, I was loaded with negative feelings about this event. He asked me to name some of the perspectives in which I was viewing this event. I probed a bit on what he meant, and then just began to name a few of the the ways I was looking at the event.

I realized that after naming out loud a few of my perspectives, they were all negative - focused on other people, other influences, and other's behavior. Feeling I should name a "positive" perspective, I did so - AND THE LIGHT BULB WENT OFF! Suddenly it all made sense that one's perspective CAN change everything. I felt more in control of the event...I felt that there could be a positive outcome to the event...and I understood that I could make the event what I wanted/needed it to be based on MY perspective.

So what happened? It turned out okay! I went into the event with hope and anticipation, knowing what my role would be and how I would act in that role. Not only was I more positive about the event, I was more at ease throughout the event. And because of that, I was able to take on and maintain a leadership role that was beneficial to all involved. And the end result of the event turned out good...all because of a changed perspective.

Where might you need to find a new perspective today? Is it in a relationship with a co-worker or significant other? Is it in terms of your organization - or your role within that organization? Is it in a specific job that needs to get done? Is it about a meeting you have to have with a co-worker today? Is it about your children - or your own parents?

Consider multiple perspectives - and be sure to find one that is positive. Choose the perspective which will best help you build a relationship and accomplish your goals - and the goals of your organization. That seems to me to be a way to lead - and to make a difference in the lives of others and in the mission of your organization.