Leadership

Mar

2019

Is There Complacency in Your Leadership?

I was sitting at my desk preparing for the final session of a leadership mastermind with a group of people. We were in the final chapter of John Maxwell’s book The 15 Invaluable Laws of Growth and reading the section on why people become complacent.

I am not going to go into all the details of the chapter in this post, but something did jump out in his explanation of why people become complacent he said:

“They lose their innovative spirit. They begin to think about being efficient instead of breaking ground.”

I read that and it hit me like a 2 x 4.

Before I made the jump into leadership development full-time, I was getting to a place in my former role that I was constantly hearing from others “be more efficient” and I was fairly efficient at what I did. This thought is not necessarily the mindset of a leader, but of a manager.

What do you mean? Doesn’t a leader want to be efficient?

Absolutely!

Let me make this simple.

Manage or Lead

When we manage, we are looking for effective and efficient processes and systems to do what we need to do with the least amount of effort.

When we lead we are inspiring and pointing toward a bigger picture. We are often providing the “why” and trying to tap into everyone’s personal desires to align them with where we are trying to get the group to go.

Let me illustrate. If I have a room of 100 individuals that I need on task such as in a gym class I must utilize both skills, but I could only manage if I want. I can set the rules of the game or activity such as a fitness routine and set a timer. Each person moves when the timer rings and everyone knows exactly what to do . . . kind of like controlled chaos.

In this situation the individuals may or may not be internally motivated.

Now if I also lead them I will set the intention for the day. I will try to paint a picture of why this workout will help them reach their personal goals. I am simply casting vision at this point. To truly inspire them I must slow down and connect with them. Now I am leading.

Leading Better

So how can we prevent complacency and lead others?

Get out of our comfort zone. Leadership requires energy and effort because we must connect. Leadership requires thinking creatively and for extended periods of time. Neither of these are easy or comfortable.

Get around different people. If we surround ourselves with people who think differently, then we will be stretched and challenged to grow. If you are a black and white thinker, get some creative people around you and vice-versa.

Try something new. Think of the first time you learned to do an activity. You weren’t thinking about how to perform the skill efficiently. You were focused on some level of success, so you didn’t look and feel foolish. You weren’t bored, maybe frustrated, not bored. You were growing and learning and excited and eventually as you persisted became effective and possibly even excelled at the skill. As a leader continue to try new things and grow.

Do you feel stuck? Which one of these three principles could help you to raise your leadership level and break new ground? If you need help thinking into your results contact me and I will gladly come alongside you in the process. In the meantime, lead well at work and home.

Feb

2019

Learning from a Leader in Manufacturing

I was in Starbucks sipping my water and learning from the leader of Rego-Fix, USA a sixty plus year old company which continues to grow and expand into various international markets. Our purpose was for me to get to know him better and also during our time I had the opportunity to learn some of his guiding leadership principles.

Mr. Weber is a learner and that is why he is a great leader. We briefly met at a leadership development event and during our time at Starbucks he suggested three books to add to my ever-expanding list of books to read. From our time I can tell he is a man of great discipline, drive, and humility. If you are familiar with the book Good to Great by Jim Collins my guess is he would qualify as a level five leader.

During his tenure leading this organization his three guiding leadership principles are what have also become the guiding principles for the organization. Before covering those let me highlight how he defined the company’s culture. As I have heard people say culture eats vision and you will see how his cultural values align with his personal/company values.

Mr. Weber desires the company culture to contain the following four elements:

A meaningful job for his employees
Respect from peers
Members of the company would clearly know what is expected of them
He and his team would be resourced to do the job

When I look at these four elements I can see how they directly align with one of Mr. Weber’s core values:

Integrity

Of course hopefully every leader would say this, but Mr. Weber said “integrity is paramount.” He models this value by living only asking someone to do something he is willing to do himself. This creates an environment where he earns his people’s respect and models an expectation that is implemented throughout the organization.

Excellence

When he said excellence, I had to get clarification because one can easily confuse excellence and perfection. Mr. Weber described this as a function of disciplined habits. In order for his organization to provide an excellent product and results he must have clear expectations. He has built this into his culture in part by providing his people with the resources they need.

Growth

This value is obviously important to him personally since I first met him at a leadership development workshop and within our brief time, he recommended three books. When we discussed this topic more in-depth he suggested that growth requires discipline and planning. Growth is not accidental, but intentional and purposeful.

When these three core values are lived out daily by him personally he sets the example and helps create a culture that enables a sixty plus year old company to continue to develop and thrive in an ever changing world.

What about you? How are you doing in these areas? Do you have a plan for intentional growth? Do you need someone to come alongside you in that growth process so you can lead at your full potential? If so, contact me for a free thirty-minute coaching experience. In the meantime, lead well.

Feb

2019

Learning from a Leader in the Pharmaceutical Industry

I was sitting beside a man who is about a foot taller than me. I asked him for some of his time because I knew he was a man of great character and also had an opportunity to be a part of an elite Division I college basketball program so I wanted to learn what insights he had on leadership.

Rob works as a sales manager for Amgen, a pharmaceutical company in the Indianapolis area. During our time we discussed the leadership principles he learned from his experience in that elite basketball program.

The coach he played under had three key principles he modeled: hard work, knowledge, and preparation. This coach’s principles have influenced his leadership, but some of the coach’s traits showed him ways he did not want to lead.

As we reflected on Rob’s experience three key leadership principles came to the surface which influence his present leadership approach.

Coach to the positive

Rob played at a time when some coaches tore athletes down psychologically in order to build them up. At times coaches and leaders can unintentionally focus too much on the negative instead of reinforcing the positive. Instead of tearing people down, Rob seeks to build his team up as much as possible by first affirming their strengths. After that, when necessary, he will point out growth areas and equip his team for those areas.

Be transparent

At work Rob now leads some of the individuals he previously worked alongside. This creates a unique environment where he admits his weaknesses and recognizes they are a team. He sees his job is helping team members achieve their goals. As leaders we need to willingly share areas that need improvement and then create the appropriate plan for growth.

Create opportunities

As a player he received opportunities because of his hard work and discipline. As a leader, he provides those he leads with opportunities for growth and advancement. In order to have that mindset he must be more concerned about his team’s growth than his personal agenda.

While we concluded our time together, I asked him for one key takeaway. Rob replied that we need to remember where we came from and we are no better than anyone else. He reflected that if we respect people and treat them like humans we will be leading well.

What about you? How are you leading your team? Are you being transparent and authentic? Do you create opportunities for those you lead to continue to develop? Our mindset is constantly a challenge, how are you at thinking positively and helping your team by focusing more on the positive than the negative? Let me know how I can help you to lead better at work and home. Lead well.

Jan

2019

Learning from a Leader in the Banking Industry

Jeff and I were sitting in the green room behind the stage at the Forum Credit Union conference center discussing leadership. I had met Jeff only a few months previously and he is a genuine and caring man who desires to lead others in the best way possible.

Mr. Welch has the responsibility of overseeing finances as the CFO of Indianapolis based Forum Credit Union. Through my interactions with Jeff and others in this organization I have gathered this is an organization with an outstanding culture.

When we started our conversation, I asked him to explain leadership from his role in the organization. He believes he must bring clarity to where the organization was, where they are now and where they are headed as it relates to the financial details. Addressing these areas makes the numbers relevant to others in the organization. While answering those questions, he correlates the numbers to the organizational goals and how people are making a difference in their role. One additional question he asks himself as a leader who desires to be transparent and authentic is: how much is enough information?

LEADERSHIP PRINCIPLES

Mr. Welch values people and that is evident in how he communicated with me, but also in his guiding leadership principles.

Communication

Many leaders have this as a foundational principle. Specifically Mr. Welch believes communication must be consistent and timely. If we are leaders who develop other leaders and not developing followers then we need to provide information in a manner that enables those we lead to make informed timely decisions. Consistent, timely communication enables that.

Relationships

In order to maintain strong relationships with those he leads Jeff seeks to build unity and trust. When a mistake is made he accepts responsibility for his part in it and makes it known by saying “we messed up.” This humble response builds unity and trust among his team. Jeff also takes time to think about each individual and how to be present with them in the way they need. He modifies his communication approach instead of expecting them to adjust to him.

DELEGATION

Mr. Welch’s third principle was the idea of delegation. He admits his struggle with being a perfectionist so this has been an area of great growth for him. Because of this reality I dove a little deeper on this idea and he provided some more detailed insights on effective delegation.

Provide a clear goal. As the leader he knows he must make the goal and expectations of the task/project clear. At the same time, he is willing to adjust his expectations for himself and others.
Create a win/win. Jeff has the humility to allow and encourage those he leads to push him to delegate. This atmosphere also encourages creating win/win situations where he distributes responsibilities to free his time while providing others with opportunities to stretch and grow their leadership.
Team thinking. When delegating a responsibility Jeff tries to create a team. A couple key questions for him are: what is the problem? Who needs to be involved? In answering these questions as accurately as possible he can build an effectively empowered team that will accomplish the goal.

This is a man who is authentic, humble and continually seeks to grow through his involvement in organizations outside of Forum. How about you? When it comes to relationships, communication, and delegation what is one way you can grow to become a more focused, effective, and purposeful leader? Need help thinking into this? If so, contact me. In the meantime, lead well.

Jan

2019

How Well Do You Handle Adversity?

If you have ever been around or involved in sports you know the phrase “be tough.” That phrase applies not only to sports, but all areas of life at work and home. A couple falls ago my son wanted to start a leaf raking business. Because of his stage of life I knew he needed a little help so we went to the computer and printed off some business cards for him to use and then he began canvassing the neighborhood.

On his first day out he got hired by three houses so the following weekend we went to those houses to start our raking. As with most of us, he began with great enthusiasm and energy at the first house in spite of the cold temperatures. He then had to attend a sporting activity and after lunch he began his second house. I left him alone to work and when I came back from running some errands he had stalled. What was the problem? It was beginning to feel like work . . . and it was.

He wanted to quit, but I encouraged him to persevere and told him that quitting was not an option. After a weekend of raking four houses and securing a couple more jobs he was very proud of himself.

How are you and I at handling the challenges of what we are entrusted to do? Do we want to quit at work, our marriage, doing the work of parenting, pursuing a greater dream? In all honesty there are times I want to quit, but for me this is not an option.

ADVERSITY QUOTIENT

What all this is about is our “Adversity Quotient” which Dr. Paul Stoltz created years ago. According to Maxwell Maltz in his book The New Psycho-Cybernetics Stoltz describes adversity quotient as “a measurement of how people perceive challenges and how well they deal with them.” p.151

So what are the characteristics of people with high AQs? Stoltz provides three attributes:

They do not blame others

Adversity is not because of someone else or something else, it just is.

They do not blame themselves

The adversity or setback does not negatively impact their personal perception – they are not a failure as a person because of a setback.

Problems are limited in size and duration and can be dealt with

Adversity does not overwhelm them to the point of paralysis and inability to take action, they keep moving forward one step at a time

When you hit adversity at work or home how do you respond? Do you have a high or low AQ? Which of Stoltz’s three attributes do you need to grow in? You can accomplish your dreams as long as you get out of your own way. Move forward today and keep growing.

Jan

2019

Leading in Health and Fitness

I was sitting across the coffee table from an individual who is passionate about helping people reach their full potential in their wellness. This man had spent years in another industry, but through his personal journey and tapping into his passion he walks a different path now with his company Alignment Nutrition.

Jeremiah is a certified health coach who continually learns and grows in understanding of his industry and craft. Awhile back he took a leap away from the monotony he was experiencing in his job to launch out and build a business helping change people’s view on themselves and specifically their view on food and nutrition.

As we talked I wanted to learn his perspective on leadership as it relates to health and fitness.

FOUR AREAS

Jeremiah suggests four areas of our lives help create balance. As we seek to bring reasonable balance to these areas our overall well-being improves. He recognizes we will never be in perfect balance and there is a constant ebb and flow of these areas even in one day let alone our lifetime.

Spiritual – this can be as simple as creating quite-time or thinking time

Relational/Emotional – are we aware of our personal mindset and how it impacts those we interact with daily?

Passion – look at your heart. I have heard the questions: what makes you laugh? What makes you cry? What makes you sing? Answer these questions clearly and you will have greater clarity on your true passion.

Physical – This area Jeremiah focuses on the most in his business as all other areas are manifested in our physical care. If we are not right in the other areas then others will sense that in your in our physical appearance and the energy we exude.

HIS DISCIPLINES

I asked Jeremiah to provide insight on how he leads himself in these four areas. The following were some of his thoughts:

Surround yourself with the right people. This is a factor of self-leadership and one way he leads himself is by bringing three types of people into his life: coaches, mentors, and accountability partners. All three play a role in helping him continually move toward his goals.
Intentionality. In order to maintain this balance Jeremiah chooses to block time to engage with his family. He also intentionally invests time in developing, learning, and growing his business acumen.
Habits. Whether the physical discipline of exercise, proper nutrition, etc. or mental discipline of daily moving toward his goal Jeremiah cultivates habits that help him progress in balance. Although he is very disciplined Jeremiah encourages himself and others to “give yourself grace when it is not perfect.” Changing habits takes time, give yourself room to grow.

FINAL THOUGHTS ON GROWTH

As we concluded our time together he shared some insightful thoughts that may help us as we pursue our goals. We all want to live a fulfilling and purpose-filled life but as Jeremiah reminded me through an idea many of us have heard: “until the pain of change is less than the pain of remaining the same, you will remain the same.”

Growth requires change and change is not easy and Jeremiah reminded me of a key truth.

We ask for success, but then prepare for failure.

Move in the direction of success today by preparing and expecting it. Battle those limiting beliefs with truth. Provide yourself with a framework for success and accountability. Need help with any of this? If you need help thinking into your leadership results contact me. If you want help with your health and fitness results learn more about Alignment Nutrition Coaching with Jeremiah and become the person you were created to be. Lead well.