HUMILITY

Jul

2021

Learning from a Local Government Leader

I was talking to a man who has had the opportunity to lead in the private sector and now serves at a local level in the public sector. This leader who moved from Ames, Iowa to the Indianapolis, Indiana area to work for a medical equipment company and eventually owned one for well over a decade. After selling this company he entered public service.

While we talked, my goal was to understand his top leadership principles. Before diving into his top three principles, I learned the core of his success is his optimism. This optimism carried him through multiple business setbacks which I do not have time to cover here.

This is not a Pollyanna, roses and sunshine optimism. A deeply embedded determination rooted in optimism that there is a solution and he just has to find it. This echoes Napoleon Hill’s idea when he says:

“a few people know from experience the soundness of persistence. They are the ones who have not accepted defeat as being anything more than temporary.”

Combined with his optimism a few principles have risen to be guides in how he leads.

Empathy

In shifting from the private sector to the public sector this skill has grown. As a business owner it can be tempting to lead in a dictatorial manner which may be “easy”, but not healthy. When we take this posture, we lead at a position level of leadership. This works . . . until it doesn’t. I am not suggesting Jeff was a dictatorial leader when he owned his business, but when one shifts from business owner to public service, they have less power.

This is where empathy comes in. As a leader he had to take time to “walk in another man’s shoes.” This ability enables him to lead at what John Maxwell calls a “permission” level of leadership based on relationships. If we want to win the hearts of those we lead empathy helps others know we care. When they know we care they are more inclined to follow our lead.

Humility

Young leaders are often tempted to think they must have all the answers. Through his years of experience in life and leadership Jeff understands this is not the case. Not only does he understand this, but he is willing to admit he does not have all the answers. This posture has enabled him to understand his weaknesses and fill those weak areas with people who are strong where he is not.

This humility combines with the empathy described previously. Jeff suggested that for one to have empathy “my feelings have to be superseded by our/your feelings.” In other words, we must put the needs of others in front of our personal needs and as a public servant this is crucial. I would also suggest a leader in any sector will greatly benefit from this frame of mind.

Communication

As I work with leaders and organizations this is the biggest area of challenge. Communication has multiple layers and Jeff emphasized the importance of constant communication as a leader. What makes this so important? Collaboration.

A healthy organization or team is collaborative which opens the door to creativity. This collaboration can eliminate always dealing with the “squeaky wheel.” At times as leaders we must simply inform, but I will dive deeper into collaboration and informing in a later post. For now, the important principle is that we must communicate often as leaders especially when we are leading a large group of people.

While wrapping up our time Jeff shared with his biggest leadership idea which I want to share with you.

“No matter what challenge you receive it will get better as you pursue the right thing and keep pushing on with great people around you.”

Leadership is not easy and growing as a leader is critical. Jeff has modeled that in his growth in the above listed areas. Which of these areas do you need to grow in? Need help thinking into that growth? Schedule a thirty-minute thinking partner session at no cost to you so I can help you think into your leadership results. Lead Well.

May

2021

Greatest Generation Leadership Qualities

Storming the beaches of Normandy, fighting battles I have never imagined nor would I ever experience in the same manner. Voluntarily picking up arms to fight in the greatest war the world has ever seen. These were the men and women of what Tom Brokaw called The Greatest Generation.

Years ago I read the book by that title and pulled it off my bookshelf as I was thinking about this week’s blog. In the HBO mini-series Band of Brothers a specific individual of this generation was highlighted for his leadership. As I think of this great generation, I see at least three leadership traits we can learn from them to challenge us.

Honorable

A generation that was exiting the Great Depression, the most difficult time in the history of the United States. Our country was attacked by the Japanese at Pearl Harbor and fifty million individuals had registered for the draft with ten million inducted into the military. These individuals wanted to serve their country and fight for freedom no matter the cost. And for many the cost was their life.

These men and women had a moral compass that guided their decisions. This is honor. Major Dick Winters who was highlighted in The Band of Brothers said it well:

“Wars do not make men great, but they do bring out the greatness in good men.”

All leaders are fighting a war, nothing like a world war, but we all have daily battles. When we lead with honor and a moral compass guiding us then each night we can rest peacefully.

Determined

Tom Brokaw writes about Martha Settle Putney who was a young black woman from Norristown, Pennsylvania. When the war broke out she joined the Women’s Auxiliary Corp, the women in the army and this was no small decision. As a young black woman, she blazed a trail and fought many battles for the rights of black women during her time serving in leadership roles in the military.

This determination was not just representative of her, but many in her generation. A thought from this now retired history professor that Brokaw shares captures the determination not only of this amazing woman, but a generation of people:

“Work hard. If you fail, don’t look around for others to blame. Look in the mirror. You have to accept responsibility for your own life.”

As leaders we must be determined and accept responsibility for our choices. Failure is part of the leadership journey. We must have the determination not to quit, but continue working toward the goal and learning from the failures along the path.

Proud yet Humble

While preparing for this I came across a documentary on Amazon Prime about Major Dick Winters of Easy Company. The paratroopers who dropped in behind enemy lines on D-Day. As they discussed and interviewed Winters, I saw a man who represented a generation of leaders.

Winters was what Jim Collins in his book Good to Great describes as a Level 5 leader. Collins describes it as a blend of professional will and humility. Winters demonstrated this with a healthy pride in what he did and was called to, and the humility to know he could not accomplish it without his team. He boldly led from the front but knew that being a strong leader means relying on others.

I would suggest any leader that aspires to grow into the greatest leader he or she can become must have this blend. Pride in what they do and humility to know they need a team. A statement Winters made in the documentary “Hang Tough” says it well:

“Set an example, let them follow you.”

As a leader how are you doing in each of these areas? Take a minute to evaluate the example you are modeling in your behavior, honor, and willingness to work hard even through adversity. Need someone to process this with? Contact me for a thirty-minute no cost to you coaching session. Be a great leader in this generation for your team today. Lead Well.

Aug

2020

What Will You Tolerate?

I was sending a text message to a friend about something and this person made a profound statement in the message:

“[They] can’t take what I tolerate to fulfill my purpose.”

Wow . . .

After reading that statement a couple times, I thought: what are a few of the things we tolerate in the pursuit of our vision?

Leaders put themselves out in front. At times they may not want to be in front, but are so passionate about the cause they feel compelled to speak out. This has consequences that are both positive and negative. Leaders must decide which consequences they will tolerate. Here are just a few.

No Credit

Now let me be direct here. A good leader or what Jim Collins in his book Good to Great calls a “level five” leader will not be concerned about credit. A level five leader has both great drive and humility. We are all human though and if we know we had a major hand in creating or accomplishing something part of us appreciates at least some recognition.

What is more important though? Receiving credit or the vision moving forward and/or the project’s completion. I’ve heard it said that good leaders are not worried about being right, but doing the right thing. Let me suggest that a strong leader will be unconcerned with or tolerate not receiving credit for accomplishment. This leader sees the cause as more important than his or her personal ego.

Hard Work

For years I have said: “Anything worth having is worth working for.” Leadership expert John Maxwell states it more eloquently saying “everything worth having is uphill.” This uphill climb is hard work. In the beginning you have the vision and may feel you are doing it alone. You could have a team, but possibly feel they are not as passionate as you.

Leaders are so passionate about the calling they will tolerate any amount of hard work and sleepless nights. They may not feel like the work is hard . . . until the battles come and the criticism flies. At this point each leader must fortify their belief in the vision and continue climbing the hill determining what work they tolerate and what they shed to continue moving forward.

Frustration

Many leaders may say “it’s lonely at the top.” I will suggest the loneliness comes from at least two sources:

Our ego centered thinking that as the leader we must know everything to the detriment of building a healthy team.
The criticism that inevitably comes with the choices you make and feeling the weight of carrying those decisions.

This can be alleviated though. Criticism will come and we determine how much we tolerate. On the other hand, if we build a strong team of people with various perspectives, they can help alleviate the burden and provide a healthier perspective.

These are only a few areas a leader tolerates. What do you feel you have to tolerate as a leader? Share below. Do you need to grow the team of advisors in your life or the leaders around you so together you can continue moving toward the vision? If so, schedule a discovery conversation to determine any way I can serve you or your team to keep your vision moving forward. Lead Well.

Feb

2020

What One Trait Did These Three President’s Have in Common?

Not too long ago I read an excellent book by Doris Kearns Goodwin called Leadership In Turbulent Times. This book chronicles the lives and leadership of four presidents during various tumultuous times during United States history.

Each president had a difficult stages in life. They did not easily attain the position of president, but through various personal tragedies and losses they grew from adversity. Three of these presidents had experiences that led them to the same conclusion.

Abraham Lincoln

Many of us have heard the many failures Lincoln faced on his path to ultimately becoming President of the United States. I could share the lessons learned from those failures, but I will leave that to others. What Kearns pointed out from Lincoln’s leadership was an example of his humility.

Kearns describes how Lincoln assembled a team of “independent, strong-minded men, all of whom were more experienced in public life, better educated, and more celebrated than he. . . . he placed his three chief rivals” to key leadership roles. To be the President of the United States and acknowledge you are not the smartest person takes humility and a quiet confidence in oneself.

Teddy Roosevelt

Teddy Roosevelt was the one man of the four Kearns discusses who led men in the heat of battle. During his time of service, he understood he must not always be the one leading even if it means he may look foolish to others.

Kearns states that Roosevelt had “the self-awareness to soberly analyze his own strengths and compensate for his weaknesses.” He demonstrated by turning down a leadership opportunity to give someone else the job because their experience would be able to lead the team to victory. This humility of putting the team over his personal ego would serve him well as he continued to lead during his life.

Franklin D. Roosevelt

A man who had experienced great success had his world shaken when he was diagnosed with Polio. After many years of struggling with polio, Roosevelt envisioned creating a community for healing and connection among those suffering from this disease. That vision became Warm Springs.

During his time running Warm Springs Kearns

states he not only brought healing and hope to others who suffered from Polio, but he himself experienced what she quoted Perkins as saying was a “spiritual transformation.” Through being in a shared community where they shared with one another the struggles of this disease and learning and listening to others Roosevelt removed the elitist air that surrounded him. This experience grew humility as a leadership strength into FDR’s character.

Each man had a different path, but all three came to a point where they either explicitly or implicitly learned the importance of humility for effective leadership.

What about you? In what ways do you need to recognize the need for others and have the humility to accept help in your leadership? Do you surround yourself with others smarter than you to provide healthy conflict? What is one step you can take today to lead with humility? Share your thoughts so we can become more aware of areas we may need to grow. Lead Well.

Oct

2019

An Athletic Leader for the Next Generation

“Where do you want to sit?” I asked my son

“The very top.” So we climbed up the stairs to the top row of bleachers in the corner of the endzone at the Southern Illinois University football stadium.

Almost a decade earlier I had first met this young man at one of my camps. He was quiet, but focused . . . rare among Junior High aged boys. This year is his Senior year in college and my son and I drove about four and a half hours so I could be sure to see him play at least once.

Why would I do that?

Many reasons, but one was because of the kind of man he is becoming. Yes, he is a great athlete and very good at what he does on the field, but why I wanted my son to be able to watch him and meet him was because of the man he is becoming.

At times people complain about the next generation. If we are honest, people complained about our generation when we entered the workforce. I want to share with you three qualities in this young man that makes him a great leader and will continue to help him grow as a leader in whatever he does.

Humility

Ever since I’ve known Jeremy he has always exemplified this characteristic. Let me clarify something. Humility does not mean thinking less of oneself because he is a very confident young man. It does mean thinking of oneself less. Even after the game smiling and willingly giving high fives and talking to young boys and others. He is good at what he does on the field, but there is no arrogance in him. He exemplifies the idea of team over self.

Perseverance

I have known Jeremy for at least a decade and my role in his life for years was as a strength and conditioning coach. If you don’t know much about the role of this coach, everyone loves to hate this coach because he or she pushes you to do what you do not want to do. In the six plus years I coached him I cannot remember him ever complaining (at least not so I could hear it). He had injuries and setbacks, but he pushed through and never gave up.

Positive

One thing I always see on Jeremy is a smile. Now, I am sure life is not perfect for Jeremy and just like all of us, he has plenty not to be happy about. He chooses to be positive. I have talked to him occasionally as he has been at college and even though the season would not be going well, he was always positive. I am fairly certain this is an intentional choice he makes which is part of what enables him to be a great leader for his teammates.

For those who don’t think there are leaders in the next generation. . . . there are and Jeremy is just one of them. Now, what about us. How are we doing at maintaining humility, persevering through our leadership challenges and staying positive? Need help with breaking through your mental barriers? Contact me for a complimentary coaching session. In the meantime, lead well!

Sep

2019

What Does Humility Have to Do With Leading?

Leader.

When you read that word, what comes to mind first? Position, power, prestige, control, in-charge, boss . . . . . . .

What about humility? In his classic book Good to Great Jim Collins describes a level five leader. What makes one a level five leader? Humility and drive. Before going any further let me suggest humility is not thinking less of oneself, but thinking of oneself less.

Here is the challenge leaders may believe. If I am being humble then people will walk all over me. If there is no determination and drive coupled with that humility then possibly, but may I suggest three areas a leader can benefit from demonstrating humility.

People

I am a very task-oriented person naturally. I like to be productive and get stuff done. My guess as a leader reading this you at least have a little of that in you. Unfortunately, in my drive to accomplish I have often failed to slow down enough to connect with those I am working alongside. More times than I want to admit I have had to apologize to an individual either at work or home for my insensitivity. Oftentimes this is a very humbling moment.

When leading, we work with people. We are all complex and often as the leader we need to slow down enough to understand the needs of others and have the humility to realize we are not the smartest person in the room and if we are . . . we are missing something.

Process

Some leaders swing so far to the relationship side of the equation they are reluctant to create structure either out of ignorance on how or reluctance. In order to lead something of significance process and systems will be necessary at some point. Processes for communication, delivery of products or services, administrative duties, and more.

At times, the challenge for a leader is process creation may require admitting our way may not be the best way. We must let go of control and entrust others with the task that we may have done for a long time in the beginning. At first this letting go process can be painful in some areas, but ultimately it creates a culture to develop more leaders and enables the leader to work in his or her strength zone.

Perspective

Years ago Daniel Goleman introduced the concept of emotional intelligence. In his book Primal Leadership (an excellent resource for leaders) he states that “self-management . . . .is the component of emotional intelligence that frees us from being a prisoner of our feelings.” Put another way we have to have appropriate perspective as leaders.

I know often either in my leadership at work or home I will make something small into something large simply by over-reacting. Part of being a leader is problem solving. When the problem comes we need the humility to admit we do not understand all of the issue and must gather appropriate people around us to provide clarity. When we have those people around us, we will have better perspective to make the best decision possible.

What about you? Where do you need to grow in humility with people, process, or perspective? A great way to continue to develop this humility and learn is by engaging in a mastermind group of similar minded people. Contact me to find out more about engaging in one this week. Lead well!