Leadership

Feb

2018

Leading In Uncertainty

I’ve been wrestling with something lately and as I sat listening to leadership expert John Maxwell speak last week at the International Maxwell Certification conference something he said really hit home.

“You have to move forward courageously amidst uncertainty”

I have a personality that I want to be in control and want to know all the details ahead of time. This prevents me from being as effective as I could be at times. Having a plan is critical, but at times I have to remember the plan does not have to be perfect and I can still learn and grow from minor mistakes. Courage is a critical aspect to leadership since a leader sees more before others see it. For example, Sir Edmund Hillary and Neal Armstrong have this courage in common. Both of these individuals accomplished something no one before them had by being the first person to see the world from a vantage point no one else had.

Allow me to draw on the wisdom of others in relation to this topic. The two individuals I mentioned above had courage to face extreme physical challenges, but they were not alone. They had a team of people around them. At times the courage we need comes from our mindset and a determination to pursue the vision even though everything and possibly everyone around us say it can’t be accomplished.

The late Martin Luther King Jr. said it well:

“Courage is an inner resolution to go forward in spite of obstacles and frightening situations.”

Resolve – In order for us to lead courageously whether that is having a difficult conversation at work or home, launching a new product, or starting a new business we must have resolve to pursue it no matter what. This inner resolve comes from a clear vision. Martin Luther King wanted to see people of color experience equality and he peacefully fought with courageous resolve.

Change – This word can bring a feeling of excitement and/or dread depending on if you are leading it or forced into it. Bill Hybels who has not only built a large church, but also develops leaders through his association sees courage to change as a key element in sustaining your leadership ability. When leading we cannot stay the same or we will become irrelevant. This takes inner courage because often we are required to let go of something important to us in order to receive something greater. The product that has run its course and now needs to be improved or eliminated even though you created it or giving your children room to grow instead of holding them so tight. Whether big or small, change requires courage.

Contagious – The late Billy Graham said “Courage is contagious. When a brave man takes a stand, the spines of others are stiffened.” This is a man who entered into the Soviet Union during a time where he was not freely welcome and his courageous leadership led to the transformation of many lives. Think of the war heroes who forge ahead in battle with bullets flying. The courageous leadership of the man leading the charge contagiously encourages those who follow.

What are you facing that you need courage to move into the unknown? Do you need inner resolve to continue pursuing the vision? Is there a change you need to make that requires a courageous step into the unknown? Maybe you know you need to lead an initiative that will inspire your team to lead more courageously. Whatever the vision before you I am certain there are unknowns requiring you to step out courageously. Who can come with you on the journey because just like Armstrong and Hillary had someone with them, you will need a partner to encourage you? Keep leading well at work and home with great courage.

Feb

2018

Effective Change

Every four years in the United States we listen to the perspectives of multiple people and eventually two who compete against each other to become President of the United States. During the last election cycle the thought struck me that really people are voting for whether or not they want change.

One of the great challenges of a leader whether that is in a small business, large business, government or your home is how to effectively lead through change. In my home we may change plans at the last minute and it can set off some cataclysmic reactions. My problem is I can be a bit of a control freak and think everyone will agree with what I want to do and if not they should just get on board. . . . I know great leadership huh?

The wonderful part about my life is I have a spouse who helps temper me . . . a lot! She understands that if we make a sudden change without involving the children in the process on some level everything will be much less calm. As I reflect on my amazing wife’s skills I realize she intuitively understands some of the foundational principles of change that author John Kotter provides in his classic Leading Change.

Urgency

The first step in leading change is creating a sense of urgency. Mom and dad usually see the urgency as does any leader of a team or organization, but they have to help others sense that urgency too. One effective way to do that is create some type of crisis. Purposely let an initiative fail so that people sense the need to improve how they approach their work. As a parents we establish the possibility of a crisis of the boys losing time doing an activity they enjoy. Not necessarily how you do it at work, but it can be effective at home.

A Team

The second step Kotter explains is to create a guiding coalition or a team. This is the group of key influencers who are on board with the change process. I think of a newly elected president and one of the first tasks is to get a group of people around him or her who agree with the changes that need to occur and are willing to live out the vision as an example to those they lead. This group of individuals also should have a certain amount of influence even without the President’s appointment of their position.

Paint the Picture

In order for anyone to consider changing, they need to believe you know where you want to go and want to go with you. In order for this to happen they need to see the vision of what you want to accomplish. If I want to change the plans on my children then it will save me some battles if I first explain why and hopefully that will help them to more willingly agree to the change (even though as young children they will have to ultimately do it). This same principle applies with those we lead at work.

Empower

My wife reminds me of this part of change by suggesting we get ideas from the boys on something we are planning to change. When we do, and then implement some of their ideas they feel empowered and more willing to join the change with a positive mindset. This can also be effective at work. Get input . . . listen . . . and implement the suggestions that make sense while having some of the suggestion makers lead that implementation.

After learning a few of Kotter’s principles for change how do you need to be more effective at leading change both at work and home?

Feb

2018

Three Keys To Leading a Team

I am writing this on the day of arguably one of the greatest sports spectacles known . . . Super Bowl Sunday. This is a day where the top two teams in the NFL compete to be world champions. This is a day where leaders get to prove themselves. Leaders on the field who make great comebacks and plays. Leaders on the sidelines who coach their teams to victory and challenge them through the struggle of this final battle. Even leaders behind the scenes who support and assemble the teams.

Since I knew this day was coming I gathered some information for today’s post. I have the privilege of being in contact with many individuals who have coached teams for years. Specifically sports teams. Since this is Super Bowl time I asked these coaches one question: What are three keys to leading a team?

The coaches graciously replied with a wide array of responses. Some of the responses were: being flexible and adaptable, creative, willing to learn and grow, passion for what you do, serving, dedication, attitude and more. Out of these responses and more, I want to highlight the three responses many of these coaches agreed were key elements to leading a team.

Clear Vision. One coach put it this way: “starts with a vision for what he wants for himself, those around him, and his team to become.” Whether the team you lead is a small youth sports team or a multi-million dollar organization, you must have a clear vision. Notice this coach said the vision is not just for the team, but for where he wants to be as well as those directly supporting him as the coach. As is evident with any championship caliber team nothing happens without a clear picture of where they are going and high quality co-leaders and team members to make it become a reality.
Lead by Example. Multiple coaches stated this as critical and one even put that as his three keys “example, example, example.” I recently had a situation where this principle clearly applied. I was leading a meeting and the goal was to provide feedback for some content we were creating. One individual had put together the first draft and I requested participants to provide feedback on how we could improve the content. I am comfortable with silence, but the silence I felt in those moments after was the silence of people thinking “I don’t want to be the first person to be critical” so I stated the first observation to get us rolling. You see I was the one in charge and I had to be the example. If a leader expects their team to do something, they better be willing to do it themselves and if they are leading others will follow that example.
Relationships. Although I have put this last, this response more than doubled the other two answers. Why is this? Leadership is about people and helping them along the path to get to the goal. Management is dealing with systems and processes which people follow. Leadership is influence. How do we have influence? We must develop relationships. Two words that came up often were: love and know. In order for the team to follow the leader they must believe they are loved and known more than just as a number. This takes time and intentionality in the fast paced world we live in. Find out about your team beyond their performance, do you know when their birthday is or what their favorite activity to do in their down time is? Do you know what gets them really excited? Take time as leadership expert John Maxwell states “walk slowly through the crowd.”

These three principles are easy to understand, but not always easy to implement. What do you need to do to grow in these areas? Do you need to think into what exactly your vision is for yourself and your team? Do you need to adjust your life so you are demonstrating what you expect of your team? How can you be more intentional about developing relationships with those you lead? Write your thoughts below and in the meantime continue to lead well at work and home.

Jan

2018

Overcome the Leadership Burden You Carry

I try to be respectful of the reality that individuals who read this have multiple perspectives on life and faith. For some reason I feel compelled to share something this time that I hope encourages you regardless of your faith perspective.

I find in my life and leadership at work and home the feeling of a heavy burden.

The burden to provide.

The burden to love my wife and children well.

The burden of the stresses of work and growing a business.

The burden of the challenges that come from my children’s choices.

The burden of trying to innovate and create and think ahead both personally and professionally.

The burden of balancing the various aspects of life.

The burden of maintaining healthy physically, mentally and emotionally. These are only a few and I believe you probably can either resonate or add to this list.

As I think of all these burdens Jesus’ words come to mind as encouragement. “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28). You don’t have to believe everything about Jesus or the Bible. You can take this as a quote by a good leader like you would a quote by Gandhi. What you ultimately believe about Jesus is your choice and I refuse to force you in any way to believe what I believe so if you are done reading at this point I understand, but hope you will continue because I think there is something here that can encourage you as it does me.

You see when I read this it gives me hope. I often feel the burden of life and I can feel it very heavy at times because I am a recovering perfectionist. Here is part of what I see in what Jesus said. There is someone bigger than you who is ultimately in control and will help you carry those burdens. The burden to raise your children alone or in partnership, the burden to provide, the burden to get that project accomplished can be lighter.

I find if I figure out a way to surrender and trust in the One who gave me all those gifts, talents, and abilities and quit trying so hard to do it on my own then He gives me peace amidst the burden. Ultimately I can’t control if someone purchases something from me, does what I want them to do, or approves of my work. My worth and value and trust must be in someone greater than I am and for me that is the Creator of the Universe.

Now you may not believe what I believe, that is fine, but if everything depends on you and there are not others to help you carry the burden, it will crush you. Just as when we were little we may have trusted our parents, at least for a time, find that greater source that you can go to and receive peace amidst the storms of leading at work and home.

Why is this important? When we are in the right state of mind are we able to lead well. If everything depends solely on us as individuals we are quite feeble in comparison to the strength of Him or a team of people you can rely on to get you through. Sometimes that team comes in the form of a coach, a mastermind group, a mentor or something else. So my question is not how far you can carry this burden alone, but on whom will you rely to help you carry your burden? You and I don’t have to do it alone. Release control and know that there is help from a greater source and the community around you.

Jan

2018

Getting Your Team to Work Hard . . . Together Part II

Commitment. This is an interesting word when it comes to leadership in our ever changing world. I can be quite committed to trying to understand how my new device works, but it seems there is an upgrade or new model just about the time I have figured it out.

A device is different than a team though. Some of the easiest teams to lead are those who are inexperienced. For example, if you have a young child and have coached their team as long as the kids know you care about them they will do whatever you say, even if you have no clue what you are doing. As an aside I would suggest this is only true until the children reach about 12 or 13 years old which is when they ignore you if they sense you don’t know what you are doing. This is commitment at the purest level and that commitment comes from a foundation of trust in you as the leader.

Last time I showed how part of John Maxwell’s suggested formula for success was to have a team committed to working hard together. Let me expand on that concept of commitment a little more from another expert.

Author Jeff Janssen in his book How to Build and Sustain a Championship Culture refers to commitment as a continuum. His book is written for sport coaches, but the principles apply in multiple settings. Go here to see his continuum. In brief it goes through phases like this:

Resistant – Reluctant – Existant – Compliant – Committed – Compelled and occasionally you have the Obsessed individual

This is a wide spectrum and as a leader you have probably experienced individuals on each part of the spectrum in any team you have led. Take a second to look at this and decide where you fall in relation to what you are leading because I would suggest the majority of those you lead will only be as committed as you are and those who are more committed than you may be leading your team instead of you soon.

Obviously as a leader one does not want resistant, reluctant, or necessarily existent individuals on their team, but committed and compelled members help the team rise to a higher level. The challenge of the obsessed member is they are committed to the cause at such a high level they tend to lose perspective and possibly effectiveness when working with the team.

Let me highlight some of the characteristics of the committed and compelled members that Janssen describes.

Committed – Willingly go the extra mile. Self-motivated. Take Initiative. Realize that challenges are a necessary part of becoming successful.

Compelled – No matter the obstacle these people will get it done. They will not rest until the job is done. They have high expectations of themselves and others. They want to accomplish something special. They are like magnets drawn to their goals and they draw others.

In our world that is constantly changing are you modeling commitment to the vision you are pursuing or is the vision a moving target? The methods to achieve the vision may change as well as some of the goals, but there should be a commitment to the plan to help develop commitment. Additionally, your commitment will bring clarity and increased levels of commitment from your team if they know you care about them.

So what about you? How are you at leading your team to be a hard-working and committed team? Where are you on the commitment continuum to the overall vision of the team? Where are your team members? When you look at the description of committed and compelled, do they describe you? Your team members? If not what needs to change? Only through commitment to growth do we become the leaders we have the potential to be.

Jan

2018

Getting Your Team to Work Hard . . . Together

“If you are a leader, the true measure of your success is not getting people to work. It’s not getting people to work hard. It is getting people to work hard together. That takes commitment.”

John Maxwell Good Leaders Ask Great Questions

If you have ever coached or led a team then you know the challenge of bringing them together to work with the right focus and effort to accomplish a common goal. I have spent a lot of time working with individuals and teams helping them learn how to work toward a common goal. Sometimes I have done quite well at helping them work together, but at other times I haven’t.

Let’s look at John’s thought above and break it down a little. There is a simple formula for success in this statement.

First, people have to Work – Action, for the most part is all this is. If we are the one in charge this can be easy for a leader because as long as a person isn’t resistant or reluctant we can get some type of effort out of them. For example, an individual can go to the gym and walk on the treadmill for twenty minutes and not break a sweat. . . . they worked, but did not accomplish much.

Work hard – this requires the leader to use a stick or a carrot at times. A leader may start setting goals for the team and its members to inspire them to work harder and either reward or punish people based on the output of their work. I’m not suggesting this is the best method, but it is a method for getting people to work hard.

Work hard together – This requires leadership skill. Managers concern themselves with systems, processes, and order while a leader is concerned with people remembering the big picture and working together toward that goal. Leadership requires the ability to know where you are going, and how to inspire those you want to go with you to give their best. Leadership requires the ability to connect with others and help them become the best they can become. Leadership requires the ability to navigate through challenges while keeping everyone on course. Leadership requires at least as much work as you expect out of those you are leading.

Commitment – I once heard a successful professional athlete speak and he said at the elite level one of the biggest challenges is keeping your edge. When there is always fresh new talent coming up that means if you are not committed to improving yourself you will lose your job. The leader can be committed, but getting the team to be committed will require more work.

As you can see the formula looks like this success = commitment to working hard together. I will dive a little deeper into the commitment part next time. In the meantime, are you modeling this formula for those you lead? In what ways? What can you do to help your team work hard together? What is one action step you can take today? Let me know and keep leading well at work and home.