Leadership

May

2021

Learning From A Home Remodeling Leader

Business owners and leaders make a profit, but is that all that drives them? I was talking to Marcus Hall the President and Partner of California Closets in Indianapolis about leadership. During our conversation on his top guiding leadership principles, which I’ll cover momentarily, we discussed the balance between profit and purpose.

A business leader won’t be leading long if he or she is not making a profit, but if that drives everything a toxic culture can develop. The purpose of profit in Marcus’ mind is to increase the impact they can have in the community they live and serve in and beyond. I’ll go into this more deeply in a moment, but let me highlight Marcus’ top leadership principles.

Manage Results and Lead/Develop People

As I mentioned at the beginning, leaders must get results to stay in business. Without a profit there is no business, but results are not Marcus’ primary focus, people are. As a leader he seeks to get the right people in the right spots within the organization. When he does this, people perform higher and achieve better results.

Looking at this principle I am reminded of the legendary basketball coach John Wooden who never worried about his opponents but focused on developing and getting the best out of his team. Leaders can develop and help navigate for those they lead but cannot ethically control results. One of the principles that helps Marcus develop people is to surround himself with value aligned people. These people help the entire team focus on what really matters.

Fair, Firm, and Consistent

In his leadership Marcus strives to be fair, firm, and consistent with all those he leads. During our conversation, he shared an image which illustrates these three principles. Courage like a lion, skin like a rhino, and a heart like a teddy bear.

In order to lead fair, we must have courage to do the right thing at all times. Being firm requires direct and possibly uncomfortable conversations. That is where the rhino’s skin is important to let the inevitable unjust criticism roll off you. Finally, consistent leaders must have a heart like a teddy bear. This soft heart helps the leader put people first and determine if everyone is aligned and heading in the same direction.

Focus on the Bigger Purpose

As a business leader Marcus has financial goals, but that is not what drives him. As the leader he believes he is the CRO . . . Chief Reminding Officer. A big part of his role as a leader is to carry the torch of purpose and remind his team why they do what they do.

His greater purpose with his team is to help them develop as people. In turn he hopes this enables his team to design better lives for customers and serve the community. With this purpose in mind he focuses on moving things in the right direction versus just doing things right. Marcus desires his team to continually develop and see progress heading toward, but knowing they will never reach, perfection. Ultimately he and his team’s clear purpose keep all this in focus.

As you look at these three principles, what is one area you need to grow in as a leader at work and home? Need help in your leadership growth? Contact me so we can discover ways I may be able to serve you and/or your team. Lead Well.

Apr

2021

What Are You For?

I have been part of a group lately going through the book FOR by Jeff Henderson. Jeff has been a leader both in business and in the faith community. In March I had the opportunity to learn from him at our last virtual International Maxwell Certification event.

Since I have been trying to give you a glimpse into a different book each month, I thought I’d share some key principles from this one.

In a world where the temptation is to express our views of what we are against in multiple forums what would happen if we instead expressed what positive things we are for? What if we shift in such a way that it draws people to us instead of dividing and isolating? Allow me to share a thought and two questions to ponder on FOR your leadership.

Be Their Fan

In the book Henderson describes how Lowes has 600,000 followers on Instagram, but at the time he wrote the book, the most likes they have had on a single post was 3,500. He compares this to a company called Chubbies who has 400,000 followers on the same platform and had one post with 16,000 likes. What caused this difference?

Engagement and relationship. Instead of making their posts all about their organization they strive to be FOR the people who follow them. A company implementing this idea intentionally follows and interacts with the people who follow them. This idea has stretched my thinking since social media can take time with minimal return. What if we genuinely took time to positively engage with those who we or our business are connected with?

Question One

At the core of this book are two critical questions we all need to process. These questions help us get to the foundation of what is truly important to us.

“What do we want to be known FOR?”

As an organization, team, or individual what is really important to us? When I think of Chick-fil-A, community, quality, and faith are the words that define what they are for. Henderson discussed how the church he was a part of starting made it a priority that they were known to be FOR their community and they would seek to serve the community. One example was by bringing awareness and people to a rarely used community amphitheater.

Question Two

“What are we known FOR?”

This is a similar, but different question from the first one. This is where we are asking what others say we are for. For example, I may say I am for eating healthy, but if every time you see me I am eating ice cream you would say I’m for desserts!

In order to answer this question, we must look objectively at our organization, team, family or ourselves. We may have to gather feedback from others to get an accurate picture. As we answer these two questions, we will notice gaps that need to be addressed.

What do you need to change in how you engage with your customers, team, friends, or those you influence? What are your answers to these two questions? Need help thinking into it then contact me for a no cost thinking partner session. Take time today to think into what you are FOR so you can lead at a higher, more purposeful level. Lead Well.

Apr

2021

Baseball Leadership

As I write this I am gearing up for my son’s baseball season. I volunteered to be an assistant coach, but ended up becoming the head coach. Fortunately these are nine and ten year old kids who I can’t mess up too bad. (My baseball career was not very long as a child)

Quite honestly my greatest concern is teaching them how to pitch which is not my area of expertise. As I think about baseball I see a parallel to leadership. Those more familiar with baseball may see many more than these I mention.

Catching

When I helped my sons learn how to catch a ball I would be excited if they caught one. The real challenge was when they threw the ball back to me. I had to move all over the place to catch what they were throwing.

As leaders we are in catching mode. Our door is open and an employee enters with a new challenge. We check our e-mail at the end of the day to see we must deal with an unexpected issue before heading home. Similar to chasing a five-year old’s throws, we have to adjust rapidly to catch the problems that come our way.

This is part of leadership, but if we are not careful we end up only catching and reacting. We can fall into squeaky wheel leadership if we are not wise. What can we do to counteract this?

Throwing

Just like catching a five-year old’s throw can be an adventure so can teaching him or her to throw. I remember teaching a three-step process: scarecrow, step, throw. This was a very intentional directed plan. When they followed it the ball was on target otherwise . . watch out!

The biggest determinant of accuracy throwing was where they focused their eyes. Leadership is no different. As the day, week, or month begins are you aiming at a clear target? Do you have a plan for how you will be proactive and get ahead of problems?

As leaders we initiate the “throw” to keep the ball moving in the direction of our goal. The first step in accurate leadership throwing is knowing where you want to go. Just as the eyes direct the throw, our vision directs the organization or team we lead. Do you have a clear vision so you can make accurate throws?

Fielding

This is beyond my baseball coaching expertise, but there are times we shift the players in the field. Maybe there is a left-handed batter so we have to shift the outfielders and possibly some infielders. As a leader fielding is strategy.

Challenges come that we catch and deal with. Vision guides our offensive direction of the organization or team. Fielding is when we reorganize our team or adjust our strategy to the unforeseen. This is how we position ourselves to catch and throw in a way that keeps us on top.

How are you doing as a leader in these three areas? Do you have a clear vision? Are you positioned well to proactively address problems? Maybe you need someone to help you think into your vision or strategy as an individual or with your team. If so, contact me for a thirty-minute thinking partner session at no cost to you. Keep playing the game well and lead well.

Apr

2021

Lessons on Developing Leaders From a Healthcare COO

If you read the first post I wrote on this conversation then you know Chad Dilley, COO of IU Health Saxony shared one of his top leadership principles was developing leaders. During our conversation he provided some great practices he utilizes with his team. Let’s take a peak into his toolbox.

Personal Drivers

In his experience between sports and healthcare leadership Chad found three general drivers exist that inspire people to do what they do.

Intrinsic drivers – these are what Simon Sinek would call the “why” of what they do. Inspired employees have a deeper motivation for what they do than just to collect a paycheck. When developing leaders, we must align their “why” with a match in the organization that will bring forth their strengths serving both them and the organization well.
Extrinsic motivation – If we are honest some people are motivated by things such as money, time off, recognition, etc. If that is what drives an individual use that to help him or her grow as a leader.
Stability – If an individual knows their leader can be relied on and is stable that individual will feel more confident and inspired to step up and serve at a higher level within the organization. We buy into the leader before the vision and the leader is the one who provides stability.

Crucial Conversations

This concept was popularized by authors Patterson, Grenny, McMillan, and Switzler in their book Crucial Conversations which is a great resource if this is a challenging skill for you. Specifically, Dilley discussed how these conversations develop people as leaders in two critical ways.

Impact of poor performance – At times we don’t know what we don’t know and as a leader helping develop other leaders who will have difficult conversations we must model this. Chad sees these conversations as critical for the individual’s development and also a testing ground for their emotional ability to lead.
Self-awareness – Through these critical conversations leaders help those they lead grow in self-awareness which, as I mentioned in the previous post, is one of Dilley’s key leadership principles.

Your Toolbox

Maybe you have a toolbox at home. Some of the tools you have are simple for you to use while others you may have to refer to the directions every time. Each individual we lead has a toolbox of skills they have developed up until now. Can they continue to develop new skills . . . absolutely. As a leader Dilley suggests we must discover “what is in your toolbox?”

These tools or skills will inform us where people can have the most success as leaders. If a person is not detail oriented and you want them to lead a detail intensive project . . . both of you will probably be frustrated. Find out your people’s skills, help them grow where they need to and position them so they can lead at the highest level possible.

Do you want to take a deeper dive into this subject? Leadership expert John Maxwell has written an entire book, Developing the Leaders Around You, about this subject which I facilitate mastermind trainings around with leaders. If you want to explore the possibility of bringing this to your team then contact me so we can discover if it makes sense for you. Lead well.

Mar

2021

What The Gambler Taught Me About Leadership

When I was a kid my parents had a record by the late Kenny Rogers and I remember them playing the song The Gambler. I had this song queued on my music list because I played it for my boys when Kenny Rogers passed away. One particular morning I was listening to it while warming up for my workout and I noticed this song is about much more than a game of poker. This song teaches us about leading ourselves.

A Train Bound for Nowhere

I heard this first stanza in a way I never had before. I always thought they were sitting at a poker table. They were two men lost in the haze of life staring out the window maybe trying to figure out their purpose. This can feel like our lives as we lead ourselves and others.

At times we feel like we are on a train bound for nowhere or simply running the rat race of life. We are looking for purpose. Maybe the business is struggling, the boss is on you more than usual, you aren’t meeting your numbers or life at home is even more stressful. Sometimes we need a gambler to speak wisdom into our lives just like happens in this song.

I Can See Your Out of Aces

As they begin talking, the gambler can tell something is on his mind. If you are out of aces in poker you are in a hard place. (I assume since I’ve never played poker) He was down on his luck and life was not going well for this man on the train.

I’ve heard it said that there are no two good days in a leader’s life. My guess is this man had been experiencing many days that weren’t going well. He was soothing his pain with whiskey in hopes to make it better. When you are all out of aces and down on your luck who or what do you run to? Does it help you lead better or hurt your leadership?

Learn to Play it Right

As I listened to this part I was seeing things I’d never seen before over the years. The gambler wasn’t giving advice on how to play poker as much as how to deal with life and adversity. If you know this song you are familiar with how much of the rest goes. One of the pearls of wisdom the gambler drops is:

“The secret to survivn’ is knowin’ what to throw away and knowin’ what to keep.”

In leading ourselves and others we constantly make decisions on what to persevere through and what to let go of. At times we have to keep the cards we are dealt and persevere to the other side in order to fulfill our personal or professional vision. Other times we must let go of the habits, hurts, or ideas that don’t serve us and/or those we lead.

Just like the poker player doesn’t know what to keep and what to throw away the same is true for us. How can we speed this process? Surround ourselves with other leaders to help us increase our collective wisdom and learn from those who have gone before us as the gambler taught this man.

Has leading got you down? Is there something you need to “throw away” or something you want to throw away, but need to keep? Are you losing the self-leadership battle and need someone on your side to help you identify what to push through and what to let go of either personally or strategically within your organization or team? Contact me for a thirty-minute thinking partner session at no cost to you. I can’t help you with poker, but I can help you think into your results for more focus and effectiveness. Lead Well.

Mar

2021

Collaborative Leadership

I was talking with a community leader who sold his business and moved into serving his community in local government. During our conversation we discussed the value and challenge of collaboration as a leader. This idea of collaboration is similar to a concept Peter Senge brought forth in The Fifth Discipline . . . a learning organization.

When people form in a group they go through multiple stages and one question that arises is whether they will we have the humility to listen and learn from one another. Peter Senge says:

“The discipline of team learning involves mastering the practices of dialogue and discussion.”

Imagine a football team preparing for the upcoming week’s game. They have all researched the opposing team and are now at the table discussing strategy for the upcoming game. As they go around the table each coach has their perspective. While listening and discussing they collectively create a plan. This is the easy part. Game day arrives and now the head coach is making decisions in real time and must balance the following tension this community leader and I discussed.

Collaboration

During the game, like in business and multiple forms of leadership, at times we can slow down and discuss ideas with one another. Other situations require rapid ideation and decision making. When is a collaborative environment helpful to the leader?

While talking with this community leader he suggested when the best decision is unclear we need to gather input from others. Leadership decisions vary in complexity. For example, going for a first down when it is 4^th and 1 yard to go versus 4^th and 4 yards to go are two different decisions. The coach needs more information to get clarity. Similarly, as a leader of an organization or team you may need more ideas and input to determine the best path. When time permits and the answer is unclear leaders collaborate with a deadline. The deadline prevents decision avoidance by continual discussion.

Information

Sometimes collaborating is neither necessary nor beneficial. The football coach who is faced with a fourth down situation with 10 yards to go and 70 yards from their endzone most times will not need to collaborate with the rest of his staff. . . . punt the ball. What is the difference?

In situations like this the leader has clarity. Maybe he or she has experienced this situation, or the answer is obvious, and collaboration will not be an effective use of time. If the organization has not sold a specific product for a year, then it may be obvious this product needs to be removed from development. I would suggest evaluating the implications of a decision before informing without collaboration. Seek out someone who thinks differently than you in case you are missing something and when necessary return to group collaboration so you can make the best decision possible.

Most Important Question

As leaders we make many decisions. When we were talking this leader emphasized the importance of seeing the other side of any issue. We easily get caught in our perspective and fail to see from the side of those being impacted by the decision. The most important question to ask in any decision is: what is right for the community/group/business/people? When we put that question at the front of our thinking we will know how clear the decision is and the level of collaboration we need to engage in.

How are you at collaborating with your team? Do you not have a team yet and need a thinking partner to help you see a different perspective as you make decisions? Contact me for a no cost to you thinking partner session to help you think into your key decisions. Lead Well.

Manage Results and Lead/Develop People

Fair, Firm, and Consistent

Focus on the Bigger Purpose

Be Their Fan

Question One

“What do we want to be known FOR?”

Question Two

“What are we known FOR?”

Catching

Throwing

Fielding

A Train Bound for Nowhere

I Can See Your Out of Aces

Learn to Play it Right

“The secret to survivn’ is knowin’ what to throw away and knowin’ what to keep.”

“The discipline of team learning involves mastering the practices of dialogue and discussion.”

Collaboration

Information

Most Important Question