October 2014 – Doug Dickerson on Leadership

The Makings of a Jealous Leader

Posted October 31, 2014
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The jealous are troublesome to others, but a torment to themselves. – William Penn

Dr. Gary Collins shares a story about Sir Walter Scott. For many years Sir Walter Scott was the leading literary figure in the British Empire. No one could write as well as he. Then the works of Lord Byron began to appear, and their greatness was immediately evident. Soon an anonymous critic praised his poems in a London Paper. He declared that in the presence of these brilliant works of poetic genius, Scott could no longer be considered the leading poet of England. It was later discovered that the unnamed reviewer had been none other than Sir Walter Scott himself!

Jealousy is one of those emotions that can cause much harm to your leadership and one that you must keep in check. It’s also an emotion that you must be willing to confront. Let’s be honest, at one time or another we’ve all had a bout with it. So what happens when you allow jealousy to enter into the DNA of your leadership style? What are the consequences and how can you stop it? Here are a few ways it might be impacting your leadership.

Signs of a jealous leader:

Jealousy makes you feel threatened

Jealousy materializes when you can resent the success of your peers rather than celebrate it. Instead of what is seen as a win for the team is a threat to one – you. Jealousy has an unflattering way of revealing motives and exposing serious leadership flaws. Jealousy reveals your insecurities, not your strengths.

Jealousy causes divisions

If left unchecked, jealousy leads to divisions and poses serious threats to the health and culture of your organization. The triggers can vary – you were passed over for a promotion that you thought was yours. You didn’t get the recognition you thought you were due. Rather than working through the issue jealousy caused you to act out in unbecoming ways. Jealousy creates strife, not harmony.

Jealousy skewers your judgment

One of the unfortunate side effects of a jealous leader is that your judgment becomes impaired. Rather than looking at situations objectively you now act out in ways that speaks more of pettiness and retaliation. When jealousy is in your heart it will reflect in the decisions you make.

How to fix it?:

Be honest with yourself

Being honest about jealous feelings is the proverbial first step in weeding it out. Don’t let pride be your downfall by refusing to deal with it. We’ve all had a jealous moment or two in our lives, but we don’t have to lead that way. You can’t build trust with your people if you are not honest with yourself.

Be comfortable in your own skin

As a leader you don’t have to compare yourself to anyone. Don’t allow personal insecurities lead to your demise. Be confident in the talents and abilities you possess and do all that you can to inspire the same in others. Recognize that the skills and abilities you have will be different from those around you. See your colleagues not as you adversaries but as allies. You win and succeed by getting along not by being jealous.

Be accountable to others

Your success as a leader is a work in progress. Jealousy is a toxic emotion that can derail it. But if you will allow a trusted confidant or mentor to hold you accountable it can save you a lot of grief in the future. Leading others is an awesome responsibility. Leading yourself takes some work. Accountability makes it all possible.

What do you say?

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Leadership Minute: Lead the Peace

Posted October 31, 2014
by admin

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. – Matthew 5:9 (Jesus)

This is perhaps one of the biggest dichotomies of leadership. Being a peacemaker is often seen as a sign of weakness when in reality it’s a sign of strength. Keeping the peace is about making hard decisions that are not necessarily seen as peaceful. Leadership weakness is found in a passive or casual style of looking the other way and tolerating things that otherwise would be looked upon as offensive. The decisions you make as a leader have consequences. It can please the masses or anger them depending on the day. But that’s a non-factor for the leader who bases his or her decisions on values and principles rather than on what’s expedient. Leading the peace occurs when you apply your leadership skills to make the case for the direction you are going. You can lead the peace or preside over appeasement, but know this; you will not know peace if you choose the latter. My suggestion? Be a peacemaker.

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Leadership Minute: Different Is Good

Posted October 30, 2014
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To be one, to be united is a great thing. But to respect the right to be different is maybe even greater. – Bono

How is it that we are all different but we can’t tolerate the differences in others? It seems paradoxical. But one of the hallmarks of your leadership is to not only recognize the differences in others but to show respect. Not everyone will see the world as you and you will not see it like others. But before you dismiss the other person for their differences consider for a moment what you are missing out on. It’s as you learn to respect the differences in others you can begin to learn from them. Don’t allow your fears or prejudices to marginalize you as a leader. It doesn’t mean you have to compromise your values or you principles in order to lead. You build respect by being respectful. Besides, just think how boring things would be if we were all alike.

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Leadership Minute: The Measure of Your Happiness

Posted October 29, 2014
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Happiness…consists in giving, and in serving others. – Henry Drummond

What is happiness to you? How do you measure or quantify it? For some it’s found in the acquisition of possessions; for others it’s their career or the sum of their bank account. For leaders, however, I’d like to submit there’s a different measurement. Yes, there can be happiness found in the success and in the rewards of your career. But leaders know and understand that it’s much deeper than that. The focal point of leadership is a servant’s heart that is more concerned about giving than it is about receiving. Your place or position in leadership is not about having all eyes on you. It’s about embracing the responsibility that comes with where you are and using your influence to serve others. The measure of your happiness then becomes a reality when you understand your purpose is far more important than you.

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Leadership Minute: Make Believe

Posted October 28, 2014
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Real difficulties can be overcome; it is only the imaginary ones that are unconquerable. – Theodore N. Vail

What real difficulty are you facing? Regardless of what it is you can overcome it. With the right attitude and a lot of determination you can turn things around. But your imaginary difficulties are the ones that will trip you every time. What are imaginary problems? They are the ones created by vivid imaginations, paranoia, and insecurity. As a leader you cannot allow your imagination to get the best of you. It’s not healthy to create real life difficulties out of imaginary circumstances. It’s when you are secure and confident in your talents, gifts, and in your ability to lead that you can rise above those false perceptions. Every leader faces challenges and difficulties and you won’t always be popular for the stands you take and the principles you lead by. But that’s where you must draw the line. Don’t create additional problems for yourself with a run-away imagination. Make believe or making it real – the choice is yours.

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Leadership Minute: Redirect Your Rejection

Posted October 27, 2014
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As I look back on my life, I realize that every time I thought I was being rejected from something good, I was actually being re-directed to something better. – Steve Maraboli

On your leadership journey you will experience setbacks, failures, and rejection. Am I a pessimist? Not at all. How you react to these experiences that will surely come your way is what will set you apart from the want-to-be leader who sulks in his or her self-pity and the one who will learn and grow from it. Every obstacle you face introduces you to who you really are. For that you can be thankful. What you choose to do with it going forward is up to you. Will you sit and sulk, or will you rise to the occasion, roll up your sleeves, and work even harder? Obstacles and rejections are merely stepping stones to something great if you will change your attitude and not take rejection personal. Redirect your rejection and use it for something good. The outcome is up to you.

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Leadership Minute: Don’t Lose Your Way

Posted October 26, 2014
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Without good direction, people lose their way; the more wise counsel you follow, the better your chances. – Proverbs 11:14, The Message

Have you ever been lost? When you lose your sense of direction it can be frustrating and time consuming. Good directions are essential to reaching your desired destination. As a leader it’s important to have good directions. You have people who rely on you and look to you for assurances that you know the way. One of the best things you can do for yourself as a leader is to get wise counsel. That’s right; ask for directions! There is so much you can learn from mentors and other role models who can speak truth into your life and keep you grounded. The easiest way to lose your way is to think you can do it alone. But when you are willing to humble yourself and learn from others, the better your chances are for success. What have you learned today?

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Leadership Minute: Enjoy the Journey

Posted October 25, 2014
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The simple fact is that if you don’t enjoy what you’re doing and the people with whom you’re doing it, then there is no possible way that you are ever going to do it as well as something that you do enjoy – Richard Branson

Do you enjoy what you do and the people you do it with? That is a rather sobering question but one of necessity for a leader who wants to achieve any level of success. If you don’t enjoy what you do then you don’t need me to tell you that you won’t do it as well as something you do like. One of the reasons why you enjoy doing what you do is because of the people you have surrounded yourself with. When you enjoy the company you keep you can build camaraderie that will project you to a higher level of performance. When the chemistry is right then you can excel. Not everyone can take the leadership journey with you nor should they. But regardless of who comes or goes; make sure you stay true to your your passions and what you love to do. Life is too short to settle for anything less.

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Building Bridges and Tearing Down Walls

Posted October 24, 2014
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Management is about arranging and telling. Leadership is about nurturing and enhancing. – Tom Peters

The Great Wall of China was built over hundreds of years to keep China’s northern enemies from invading. The Great Wall is so wide that chariots could ride across the top. It is one of the few manmade objects that astronauts can see from space as they look back on the earth.

But the Great Wall did not keep the enemy out. Do you know why? All the enemy had to do was bribe a gatekeeper. Despite the massive wall, there was an enemy on the inside that let the enemy on the outside in.

One of your most important responsibilities you have as a leader is to grow your corporate culture in a way that benefits everyone. But what happens when office gossip, professional jealousy, and turf wars build walls that place your company at risk? What is the fallout when walls go up and camaraderie is a faint memory of the past? Here are four critical areas that are impacted in your organization if walls are built or allowed to remain.

Loss of trust

The first line of defense for you as a leader as it relates to your corporate culture is the establishment of trust. When walls go up among your people trust is one of the first casualties along with it. Trust among your team is essential to your operation. If it doesn’t exist internally it’s going to be hard to nurture and develop it externally.

Trust is the foundation of your corporate culture. If there is no trust among the members of your team then your team is simply going through the motions. Trust is built when the walls come down and your people learn to work in harmony with one another. When they see each other as allies and advocates rather than adversaries then you trust can be established.

Lack of communication

When there is no trust then communication is going to suffer. If information is being withheld and secrets are kept, then good corporate culture is lacking. Walls keep people apart and when this occurs then the life blood of your company is missing. Everything rises and falls on trust and communication.

Consider for a moment how different things in your organization would be if there were not impediments to communication. Good communication can be a challenge in the best of times when there are no walls much less when they do exist. Communication in your organization will exist and thrive when you bring people together and make it a priority.

Lack of collaboration

Whatever the cause for the walls that exist – clicks, territorial disputes, petty office politics, etc. one thing is certain – relationships suffer. A strong work environment and the collaborative process are dependent upon good relationships – the very thing the walls have destroyed.

A healthy collaborative process can be very beneficial. When team members come together and check their baggage and their egos at the door, it can make a huge difference in the productivity of the organization. But this can’t happen within the confines of walls that are far too often supported by pride. When team members see their differences as strengths and their diversity as an advantage then collaboration can thrive.

Lack of credibility

Walls can be detrimental to any organization and every leader faces the challenge of how to deal with the underlying issues that lend itself to their creation. It’s a frustrating process and I understand the challenge it presents.

But the credibility of your organizational structure is on the line when walls of division that lead to a lack of trust, communication, and collaboration are allowed to linger. Chances are it’s only one or two disgruntled people who are the chief antagonists giving you this headache. But nonetheless, walls are being built because well-meaning team members may know of no other way to deal with it.

As a leader you must be proactive in the implementation and development of your corporate culture. It’s not an auto-pilot feature that you can turn on and then ignore as you move on to other issues. As a leader the best things you can do is learn how to build more bridges and tear down a lot of more walls.

What do you say?

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Leadership Minute: Never Give Up!

Posted October 23, 2014
by admin

Never, never, never give up – Winston Churchill

Leaders – have you ever felt: like throwing in the towel, overcome by discouragement, all alone and wore out, like a babysitter, frustrated, stressed, angry, confused, looking for answers, tired, burned out, weary, delirious, doubtful, skeptical, hurt, battered, bruised, betrayed, overworked, underappreciated, and asking the proverbial question of ‘why me?’. Welcome to the world of leadership. So before you throw in the towel and call it quits (we’ve all been there), let me take a moment to encourage you. You are more than the sum of your fears and frustrations. Your life, your purpose, and your destiny have you today where you are meant to be and doing what you were meant to do. It may not be the final stop on your leadership journey but it’s your place to shine today. Don’t allow your emotions to sidetrack you from fulfilling your purpose or keep you from your ultimate destiny. Take a deep breath and remember you are not alone. Never, never, never give up!

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