Leadership

Feb

2022

Culture – What Makes It?

“Culture is how we think, act, and interact inside our organization.”

Chris Goede (Executive Vice President of Corporate Solutions, John Maxwell Enterprise)

Years ago when I was a strength and conditioning coach, I was talking with my boss and he said: “You have the hardest job on staff. You have to be the master psychologist.”

I had to inspire hundreds of athletes to see the value in participating in the off-season work that did not involve touching a ball or swinging a bat, racket, club, etc. That was one challenge, but over time I saw a different and at times greater challenge.

I could create a culture of hard work, focus, and dedication when I was with them, but if the culture their coach created was different, I was fighting uphill. Maybe the team you lead is collaborative, but you feel you are fighting upstream against an organizational culture that is completely siloed. In this post let me break down culture into three areas you can evaluate, design, and possibly even influence within the larger organization.

People

I jokingly say often “where two or more people are gathered, there will be problems.” That is part of life. Whether two people, twenty, or two-thousand people create a culture. This is one area we need to evaluate. In his book Good to Great, Jim Collins discusses how great companies first get the right people on the bus and then figure out where to drive the bus.

Imagine you lead a professional soccer club. You get on the bus clear about where you are going and who you are playing and then you look. The managers, athletic trainers, and coaches are all on the bus, but only a couple players are there! You will get destroyed in your game. We must take time to evaluate the people on our team determining if they have the right character, skills, teachability, and capacity. The people will create and sustain the culture.

Process

The people are one part, but culture is also created by process. Process in this sense is “how we do things around here.” Every team has both an unspoken and spoken way of doing things. For example, maybe a written expectation is that people take notes on client calls in a certain system. The reality is no one checks or references those notes, so people rarely take them. This lack of inspecting the process that is expected has created a culture that is less effective than originally intended.

The way we act and think can be influenced by the processes in place within our team. Maybe your office door is open, but when people come in to talk with you they get treated as if they are an interruption. The intention is open communication, but the action says the opposite. Evaluate your processes and systems and check if they align with how you intend your culture to function.

Results

I was watching the end of the Cincinnati Bengals first playoff football game recently and the announcer said the stadium had over 66,000 people in attendance which broke the record attendance from 2007. What caused this newfound culture of excitement?

Results.

The last time the Bengals had a playoff victory was in 1991. When our team is getting results people want to be a part of it. As leaders what are the results we want people to get excited about? Is it simply numbers? If so, what do those numbers represent and how can you create a scoreboard around that? Create ways to genuinely recognize and celebrate the results you get. When those results support people and processes that are important to your culture, make everyone aware.

I hope this has helped stir your thinking on how to intentionally form your culture. Maybe you need some help evaluating your team in a fun, interactive, and organic way. If so, let’s discuss how I could serve your team by facilitating The Leadership Game to open up communication around topics like this. Which of these areas do you need to intentionally develop starting today? Let me know. Lead Well.

Jan

2022

Training Lions or Feeding Goldfish

I was reading something recently that looked at how Jesus selected his inner circle. Now I am a person of faith and that may not be your thing, but stick with me because I think we can agree that Jesus was a great leader.

This was tied to a story where Jesus was walking along and asked one of the most hated types of people to be part of his inner circle: a tax collector. As I read the note with additional application thoughts the author suggested good teams are built with lions and not goldfish. What does that look like?

We have a few fish who swim all day and eat a little. When we feed them they swim up to get the food, eat a little and return to swimming. Not very exciting. That would be like watching people dig dirt all day. They do the work well, but it is not very exciting. As a leader if you have followers they do their job well, but may be more like goldfish. Lions, on the other hand, are very different.

Different Personalities

A healthy team consists of people with who think differently. Multiple factors contribute to our unique perspectives, but one of the most impactful can be individual personalities. Some people are aggressive while others are more reserved. Some are task oriented while others are more people focused. This natural hardwiring will influence the perspective people bring to the team.

Leader, may I encourage you to learn how to embrace the differences. I know it feels a lot easier to surround ourselves with people who see the world as we do and think as we do and just “get us,” but in the long run we hurt our team. Examine the personalities on your team. Is there an analyzer, a driver, a peacekeeper, and an extremely relational person? If you have each of these then you have a greater chance of a healthy team . . . as long as everyone is headed the same direction.

Different Strengths

Throughout our lives we develop different strengths. Some strengths we identify early on while others may have developed through experience. Maybe taking the lead comes natural to you and you have been that way since you were young. Maybe you have always asked lots of questions. Other strengths you may have developed through your professional experience. If someone on yo

ur team was previously an engineer they may have a strength in seeing the details and solving complex problems.

As a leader evaluate your team and find their strengths both professionally and personally. Take time to determine with your teammates where you can leverage their strengths. When this occurs the individual and team both thrive.

Willing to Initiate

We can’t see either the personality or the strengths of fish when we feed them. When training lions I have a feeling each one has unique personalities and strengths. One clear difference between a fish and a lion can be seen in their approach to being fed.

A goldfish will wait until its owner drops in the food and then go get it. A lion is a hunter! A lion will prowl around looking for its food. A lion will wait for the perfect opportunity and attack its prey chasing it down until it catches it and has it’s meal. A lion has an agenda while a goldfish waits on its owner.

A team of lions will not be easy to control, but an effective leader does not control his or her team but influences them. As a leader of lions take time to understand the individuals on your team and when they initiate in ways you may not have preferred create time to communicate openly to assure you are both going the best direction for the team and maximizing the individual’s strengths.

Want to understand your team members personalities so you can lead them more effectively? Contact me to discover how I can help your team or go here to invest in a Maxwell DISC Personality Indicator to understand your style. Lead Well.

Jan

2022

Martin Luther King Jr. Leadership Part III

For the past couple years on Martin Luther King Day I have highlighted principles from Donald T. Phillip’s book Martin Luther King Jr., On Leadership. (You can see the previous posts here and here) King was a tremendous example of a transformational leader we can learn many lessons from.

Since I have been focusing on goals and growth over the past couple weeks, I thought I’d explore what Phillips learned about how King approached goals. Phillips stated:

“A detailed plan of action, accompanied by specific goals, serves to mobilize people toward the future. It provides much-needed context and purpose for members of the organization. It helps unify people, motivate them, focus their talent and energy.”

There is a lot to unpack in this statement and I will focus on a few ideas.

Detailed Plan of Action

“We need a chart. We need a compass. Indeed, we need some North Star to guide us into a future shrouded with impenetrable uncertainties.”

Martin Luther King Jr.

King understood he could provide all the vision in the world and have a dream, but without a plan to help them chart the course he would only inspire.

Leaders are people of action.

Leaders navigate for their people.

Leaders are like the captain on the ship out at sea navigating the course into the unknown. They see where they want to be, but they must also provide a path for the people around them.

I would suggest at times the course may simply be the next step. In times of constant change and turmoil as leaders have experienced in recent years it may be impossible to chart a long-term plan so plan as clear and far as possible the next best steps.

Specific Goals

Have you ever tried shooting baskets on a backboard with no rim attached? Your motivation fades quickly. Just like the hoop provides a specific goal and motivates people playing basketball, specific goals provide a target for those you lead. Part of Martin’s philosophy around goal setting was:

“Find something that is so possible, so achievable, so pure, so simple . . . so basic to life that even the [extremists] can’t disagree with it all that much.”

I know I have encouraged us to focus on growth over goals and I still mean that. Goals give us a target and the challenge is to enjoy the process of pursuing and learning while pursuing the goal. When leading a group, find a goal that is clear, simple, specific, and resonates with as many people as possible. This clarity helps with the final idea.

Context and Purpose

“In any movement, you have to have some simple demand around which you galvanize forces.”

Martin Luther King Jr.

King let those he led know they were not entering an easy battle as he laid out the plan and goals for their march on Birmingham. He recognized he had to have a clear plan and goal that would give people the answer to the most important question:

WHY?

When those we lead know the leader has a clear plan with a reasonable goal their confidence increases. Their resolve increases the more they agree with the goal. As a leader take the time to know your plan and your goal for what you want your team to accomplish. As the team understands these, many will be strengthened to continue to march with you toward accomplishing the goal.

What is your plan and goal for your team over the next week, month, year? Is it clear in your mind so you can clearly communicate it to them? If not, take time to get it clear today so you can accomplish together what you are seeking to accomplish. Need help thinking into this? Contact me for a no cost to you coaching session. Lead Well.

Dec

2021

Leadership Lessons from LOR: Fellowship of The Ring

Almost every year around this time we watch the Lord of the Rings series. The story is so intricate I seem to learn something new every time. Recently as I was watching the first movie in the series, I spotted three leadership principles.

For those of you familiar with the movie you may know what I reference with each of these ideas, but those of you who are not you will see at the bottom I have provided a link to the scene which prompted the idea.

Have a Community of Support

A small hobbit has inherited a ring of power that has the power to do great evil. At this point a group of individuals are gathered determining what to do with this ring. (video 1 below) During an argument about how to destroy the ring Frodo, the hobbit, volunteers to carry the ring into Mordor to destroy it and save the world.

After volunteering to carry the ring, eight other people determine to support him on this treacherous journey. They, and he, know this is not a journey that can be taken alone. These individuals understood what John Maxwell said in The 17 Indisputable Laws of Teamwork:

“If you want to do something big, you must link up with others.”

Frodo’s mission was enormous, and the leadership burden he had to carry required a team around him. As leaders if we don’t need a team around us, I would suggest we may need to look for a bigger vision. The vision can be overwhelming and feel like a burden so we need others around us on the journey.

Have a Guide

Gandalf, a wise old wizard, had been friends with Frodo and his uncle for years. He was the one who helped him arrive at this point in the elf land of Rivendell. The team has assembled and they are following Frodo as he exits the gate. (video 2 below) At the exit point there is a crossing road and Frodo whispers to Gandalf “left or right.”

Frodo knew he had to be the leader and the team was ready to follow him, but he was leading in faith and needed a mentor by his side. That mentor was Gandalf. Gandalf knew the path to Mordor because he had seen it.

As a leader you may have the vision and are excited by what you want to accomplish, but deep down realize your knowledge and experience is limited. Every successful leader has someone in their inner circle who has been down the path before and can guide them at crucial moments to make the best decision. Evaluate your closest relationships. Who in your inner circle can guide you when you are at a crossroads?

Have an Encourager

The team has fallen apart because of the enemy and Frodo has realized his path is diverging from the rest. He launches off in his canoe to reach the trail across the river when his friend Sam comes running into the water willing to drown and not abandon him. (video 3 below) After pulling him up into the boat Frodo, who was ready to go alone, realizes he has a great encourager at his side.

Leadership is not easy and we are often tempted to go alone even in a community. Sam was the person in Frodo’s life who helped him carry the burden. He could not carry the ring because that was Frodo’s burden to bear. He could encourage him when he was down, carry him when he was weak, be a voice of truth when others were trying to take him off his course, and be a friend who he could be honest with.

My friend, if you are reading this I know you have a leadership burden you carry. It could be at work, in your community, or in your home. Do not carry the burden alone. Who in your life is your encourager, your guide, and your community? The leadership journey is hard, your vision is worth it, but do not journey alone. If I can serve you in any way let’s connect. Lead well.

Community of Support

A Guide

An Encourager

Dec

2021

Three Ways to Understand Your Leadership Gifts

Somebody had watched my weekly video recently where I mentioned how our individual purpose is found in our giftedness. After watching that he replied to my e-mail. (Those who get the free leadership e-book get these directly to their e-mail). He challenged me with the question: what are your gifts?

I don’t know about you, but seeing my weaknesses are easier than realizing my gifts. I took a few minutes and replied with some ideas and asked for his feedback. If you watched that video and then got a little stuck or are at a point where this type of reflection will help you lead more effectively then allow me to provide a few ways to help you discover your gifts.

Ask Others

As I mentioned above some of us can be our worst critic and only see our weak areas. Think for a moment who are up to five people who know you well. Some of them may be in a personal context and others in a professional. Reach out to those people and ask them: what are the top three to five things you see that come easily for me?

As they answer this question this will provide insight on your gifts. Gifts are the things we do so naturally we don’t realize it may be difficult for others. Maybe you easily think of new ideas. Creating order out of chaos may come naturally to you. Possibly you can quickly identify the steps to accomplish a goal. Communicating, mathematical analysis, or many other abilities.

I encourage, if you can, ask people who have known you before you were working. These people will know the abilities that have always come naturally even before you were trained or developed them further.

Reflect on Experiences

I have a friend who took me through a process of reflecting on all my life experiences to get a picture of themes in my life. Through this process we identified certain skills or qualities that were natural in me. For example, throughout my life I have always sought mentors. This reveals to me the natural desire to learn and grow. This may not be the gift but thinking and reflecting may come more naturally to me than others.

As we evaluate our present and past experiences, we recognize themes. These themes will often point us toward our strengths.

Use Tools

An excellent resource I have used and continue to reference as well as use with clients is a Maxwell DISC Personality Indicator. This tool takes only about ten minutes to complete. What is unique and beneficial about this as a leader is the POWER DISC. This helps us understand where we are strong in seven key leadership areas. This also helps us understand our personal style and strengths.

Another tool I have used is Strengths Finder by Gallup which helps us understand our top five strengths. When I originally took it, I received a keycode after investing in the book Strengths Finder 2.0.

These are only two of many tools available. The challenge is taking the information and evaluating what it means and how to leverage our strengths to lead more effectively.

How will you use this new information to lead more effectively? How can this help you determine what NOT to do? As you go through this process you may see the value of a thinking partner to help you see what you cannot see or process how to apply these gifts in your leadership. If so, and I can serve you as a thinking partner, then contact me to schedule a 30 minute no cost to you coaching session. Lead Well.

Dec

2021

PS5 and Leadership Success

Last year about this time I walked in the house from my early morning workout and there was my thirteen-year-old son smiling ear to ear. He also had an important question for me: “can you pick up the PS5 I just bought?”

If you don’t have kids at this stage of life or like me have definitely outgrown the video game stage of life let me explain. These could not be found last year! Unknown to my wife and I my son had created a Twitter account for the sole purpose of watching when PS5 orders had been dropped. He was on the lookout daily and that was where he learned one was available.

After picking up his PS5 at Target I reflected on a few leadership lessons any leader or entrepreneur could gain from his approach.

Discipline

For about three weeks my son was obsessed with getting a PS5. He had saved up the hundreds of dollars he needed to purchase it. Each day he demonstrated the discipline to check his social sources, online, and even call some stores.

In the classic book Think and Grow Rich Napoleon Hill had studied the lives of many successful people of his time. He tells the story of a man who desired to work with Thomas Edison. Hill concludes:

“He stood by his desire until it became the dominating obsession of his life and finally a fact.”

My son was obsessed with getting this PS5 to the point it became a dominating obsession. (As Dad I must confess I was getting a little concerned.) As leaders we must have the type of desire that gives us the discipline to accomplish the vision.

Faith

I am going to suggest for this conversation faith is the ability to see something we do not have and know we will have it. This could be an object, vision, relationship, or something else. If you have ever pursued something you wanted and refused to quit then you know it required faith.

At times my son got really frustrated, but he continued his discipline, maintained his desire, and believed he would get it. This was even amidst reports only a few were available at a time. As leaders we must cling to faith that the vision we have will come to pass.

Self-Control and Persistence

Allow me to remind you this was my thirteen-year-old son. You can look up the cost of a PS5 and you will see it required self-control for him to save all that money. Like most of us there are plenty of other things he likes to spend his money on, but he desired this so much that he controlled himself to save. Of all that my son did the greatest leadership less is what he combined this self-control with: persistence.

Napoleon Hill states in Think and Grow Rich:

“Lack of persistence is one of the major causes of failure.”

Like I mentioned earlier, my son checked daily. He checked often and was persistent about asking my wife and I to take him to various stores to see if they had one. He had the discipline, faith, self-control, and persistence to get up first thing in the morning and see the tweet three minutes after it was made so he could purchase it immediately.

What about you? With the burning vision you have for what you are leading do you have the discipline, self-control, faith and persistence my son demonstrated? If not, which of these areas do you need to grow in? Maybe your desire is waning. What will reignite you? Go out in the next week and reignite your desire. Maybe you simply need to keep persisting with faith that you will get the breakthrough.

Do not give up on your vision my friend. Keep climbing the hill knowing your vision is worthwhile. Need someone to think into your vision with? Contact me for a thirty-minute thinking partner session at no cost to you. Lead Well.