coaching – Page 9 – Doug Dickerson on Leadership

What March Madness Teaches Us About Leadership

Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence wins championships. – Michael Jordan

March Madness is upon us. It’s the time of the year in college basketball where dreams come true and when hearts are broken depending on the final score. How’s your bracket looking? Regardless of how your team performs there are key leadership lessons to be learned. Here are five worth your consideration.

Expect the unexpected.

When filling out the brackets for the tournament the early picks seem routine. It’s safe and easy to pick the number one seed to defeat a number sixteen seed in the early round. But invariably an upset or two happens; i.e. Ohio State and Dayton. How did that affect your bracket? The leadership lesson is clear. Things don’t always go according to plan or how you think it should. Just as a team prepares for the big game, so too should you as a leader prepare and play hard. But don’t fall into the trap of predictability. Be prepared for the unexpected and be flexible. Unexpected things can and will happen.

Everyone loves an underdog.

Often during March Madness an underdog emerges that captures the limelight. Basketball fans will long remember NC State’s last second dunk by Lorenzo Charles in their astounding victory over Houston in the 1983 championship game. That game ranks as the number one upset in tournament history. Many successful leaders are those who were labeled as an underdog but simply forget to read those headlines. Walt Disney was fired by the editor of a newspaper for “lacking ideas”; Steven Spielberg dropped out of High School and applied to attend film school three times but was unsuccessful because of his C average. The examples are countless. You may be an underdog today but you can be the top dog tomorrow. Never give up.

The experts are often wrong.

During March Madness it’s always amusing to see the “experts” make and defend their bracket selections and explaining away their choices when they get it wrong. The best and brightest former players and analysts make bold predictions and are often no better at their predictions than you or I. On your leadership journey there will be critics who will try to discourage or dissuade you by telling you why it can’t be done or why it’s too difficult. When Fred Smith was at Yale he wrote a paper proposing reliable overnight delivery service. His professor wrote in response, “The concept is interesting and well formed, but in order to earn better than a “C”, the idea must be feasible.” Fred Smith ignored that advice and went on to start FedEx anyway. As a leader sometimes you will have to defy the critics and ignore the experts and just do what’s in your heart. Go for it.

Fundamentals matter.

The teams that make it to March Madness do not get their by chance. They are winners and that takes skill, teamwork, dedication, and hard work. But most of all it’s about executing the fundamentals. Their work ethic on the court is a reflection of their work ethic in practice. Championship teams master the fundamentals of the game. Leaders who excel in whatever field of work they are in do it the same way. It’s about being your best, giving your best, and doing all that you can to help your team win. When leaders fail to remember the basic tenets of leadership; hard work, honesty, selflessness, etc., it makes weak an otherwise strong team. You master the fundamentals of leadership when you live by the fundamentals of leadership.

How you lose is just as important as how you win.

While 64 teams make it to the Big Dance only two make it to the final game. One team will run the tables and emerge victorious and 63 teams will lose. It’s not meant to sound harsh but rather serve as a reminder that be it a basketball game or business, there are up’s and down’s. But how you lose reflects on your leadership style just as much as how you act when you win. After losing to Mercer, Duke’s Coach K went to their locker room to congratulate the team on their victory. “You guys have a hell of a basketball team,” Krzyzewski said, “I love the game and you guys play the game really, really well and your coach coaches it well. If we had to be beaten, I’m glad we got beaten by a hell of a basketball team. So good luck to you.” Talk about a class act. Sometimes you can make a stronger impact by how well you lose than you can in victory. In victory or defeat be kind, gracious, and humble.

What do you say?

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Leadership Minute: Where Is Your Attitude Taking You?

Attitude is a little thing that makes a big difference.- Winston Churchill

Have you ever stopped to consider why your attitude is so important? As a leader you set the tone for others around you. In short, workplace attitudes are mirrored by you. What does your attitude say about the direction of where your organization is headed? Organizational attitudes are the sum of the personal attitudes of those that work in it. But the attitudes of leaders are especially important. To be sure, we all have bad days and there are times when we are tempted to have a bad attitude. But be mindful that your team is watching and reacting accordingly. Move your organization forward with the right mindset. Is your attitude taking you in a positive direction or a negative one?

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Leadership Minute: Take Your Stand

Posted March 20, 2014
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You cannot run away from weakness; you must sometime fight it out or perish; and if that be so, why not now, and where you stand?” –Robert Louis Stevenson

As leaders we know this to be true; some days are just tough. It’s called life. But like most obstacles we face, a great deal of the struggle is with our attitudes. We struggle to say optimistic. Optimism does not prevent difficulties or make you immune from them. It does, however, empower you to face difficulties with a confidence that gives you an advantage in overcoming them. Now is the time to rise up with courage and fight the good fight. Your circumstances do not define you as a leader. Your struggles are not meant to overtake you. Stand up. Be strong. Lead with courage!

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Leadership Minute: Think Big!

Posted March 17, 2014
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We all have possibilities we don’t know about. We can do things we don’t even dream we can do. – Dale Carnegie

As leaders we pride ourselves in casting vision and dreaming big dreams. Your dreams should excite, inspire, encourage, and even terrify you. Too often we settle for what we know we can do. As a result we put the limits on our potential, our possibilities, and thus we reduce the size of our dreams. As a leader I encourage you today to not hold back any longer. Dare to think big. Dare to release the creative abilities that are within you and reach for things that you previously thought were unattainable. Until you think big you will not become big. Stop limiting yourself and embrace the possibilities of unlimited thinking. You don’t know the things you can do until you put your dream into action.

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Taking ‘No’ Out of Your Playbook and Why it Matters

Nothing will ever be attempted if all possible objections must first be overcome – Samuel Johnson

Leaders understand that obstacles are a part of the landscape on the road to success. But how many leaders are self-aware enough to realize that some of the obstacles blocking their desired success are self-inflicted?

When what stands between your employees or volunteers and potential success is a constant drum beat of no or the good ole standby of, “We’ve never done it this way before,” then you are capping your talent and are hindering your chances of success.

In his book, It’s Not About the Coffee, past Starbucks International president Howard Behar writes of the necessity of taking ‘no’ out of your playbook. His thought was that we can grow so accustomed to saying no to our customers or employees that soon these roadblocks take on a life of their own and become the unspoken rules, the No Book, that stands between you and your potential success.

One example Behar shared about Starbucks turning an everyday no into a yes was by opening the door early in the morning. Customers would come by ten minutes before the store opened and they were routinely turned away. The message the prospective customer would get was, “No, we’re not open yet.” When they realized they could say yes they began to open ten minutes before the posted opening to serve their customers.

To be sure, not every yes will guarantee success and not every no will deny it. But what you must realize is that until you release the power of possibilities in your people they will never have a chance to find out. Taking no out of your playbook will unlock their potential and give them much needed freedom to grow. That is critical to your success. Here is why taking no out of your playbook matters to you as a leader.

It empowers your people.

There is no better way to empower your people than to release their creative ingenuity with a yes attitude. It signals that you believe in them and want them to reach their full potential. Empowered people are driven people and are more invested in the product and outcomes. When you remove no from the playbook and replace it with a yes then you elevate everyone to a new level.

It puts the focus where it belongs.

When no is replaced with a yes then the playbook becomes a different document. The paradigm shifts. You go from paying defense to playing offense. Now instead of an inward focus it’s an outward one. Where once it was all about you, now it’s about those you serve. When your purpose revolves around a “yes we can” mentality then there is no room for “no we can’t” detractors. When your people are free to focus on what they can do instead of what they can’t do it will make a world of difference.

It creates momentum.

Some leaders exert a lot of energy and waste a lot of time trying to figure out the secret to creating a culture of momentum. Sadly what some do not realize is that they are the reason why it’s lacking. Why? They haven’t taken no out of their playbooks and consequently their much needed momentum lies dormant.

What would it take to motivate you? Former Miami Dolphin’s great Bob Kuechenberg shares how he got his. He tells the story of his father and uncle who were human cannonballs in carnivals. His father told him, “go to college or be a cannonball,” said Kuechenberg. Then one day his uncle came out of the cannon and missed the net and hit the Ferris wheel. It was then that Kuechenberg decided to go to college.

As a leader you can either take no out of your playbook and put in a resounding yes, or you can be shot out of a cannon. Why not release the potential of your people, focus on those you serve, and generate the momentum you need? Say yes!

I invite your feedback!

1. What “no’s” are the most demoralizing for you or your office?

2. In what practical ways can you learn to say yes and empower others?

3. How would your office or organization benefit by taking no out of the playbook and replacing it with a yes?

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Leadership Minute: Working Together

Posted March 13, 2014
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There is nothing wrong with competition. The problem for many leaders is that thy end up competing against their peers in their organization in a way that hurts the team and them. – John Maxwell

Hopefully within your organization are a group of committed individuals who have a strong desire to succeed. The energy they generate is vital to your future. The more of them you have the better positioned you are going forward. But be careful not to allow that energy to be used in a negative way. Healthy competition is good but it can be counterproductive when it turns friends into enemies or colleagues into adversaries. Don’t allow factions to emerge because of the actions of a few. Your team must be reminded that you are all working toward the same goals and everyone’s success must be celebrated. When you work together you can succeed together.

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Leadership Minute: Practice Kindness

Be kind to one another, because most of us are fighting a hard battle. – Ian McLaren

One of the misconceptions about leadership is that once you are a leader you have fewer problems. One of the truisms of leadership is that leaders are no different from anyone else. We all have our share of hardships and troubles. What will separate you as a leader is when you go out of your way to show kindness to those in the battle. Going through the battles of life is not uncommon, but you shouldn’t go through them alone. While it’s not your place to solve everyone else’s problems, you can show acts of kindness and give encouragement. Be the type of leader that has not only open eyes; but also an open heart.

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Five Ways to Protect Office Morale

Posted March 8, 2014
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Never hold discussions with the monkey when the organ grinder is in the room – Winston Churchill

The early American Indians, as the story goes, had a unique practice of training young braves. On the night of a boy’s thirteenth birthday, after learning hunting, scouting, and fishing skills, was put to one final test. He was placed in a dense forest to spend the entire night alone. He was blindfolded and taken several miles away. When he took off the blindfold, he was in the middle of a thick woods and he was terrified.

Every time a twig snapped, he visualized a wild animal ready to pounce. After what seemed like an eternity, dawn broke and the first rays of sunlight entered the interior of the forest. Looking around, the boy saw flowers, trees, and the outline of a path. Then, to his utter astonishment, he beheld the figure of a man standing just a few feet away, armed with a bow and arrow. It was his father. He had been there all along.

Good leaders know a thing or two about protecting that which is important. The success of your business or organization is linked to the morale of its employees or volunteers. While everyone’s happiness is not the responsibility of the leader, it is in the best interest of the leader to see to it that strong morale in the work environment is maintained for maximum benefit.

Why does this matter to the leader and why should it be on his or her radar? Workplace morale seems to always be a challenge. The Daily News last year (http://nydn.us/1insfoc) cited a Gallup report showing that 70% of Americans polled either hate their job or are “disengaged” from their work, and even perks don’t work if they’re unhappy with management. Until you make the building and maintain of strong morale a priority it will continue to be a negative issue you contend with. Here are five ways you can work to protect it.

1.) Put others first.

This is a basic leadership principle but one that yields high returns when applied. System-wide, when people within your organization learn to put others first it sends the message that you are committed not only to your own success but to the success of those you work with. The all-in is a signal of your buy-in which makes coming to work much more pleasant. When you don’t have to question where others loyalties it’s like a breath of fresh air. You build and protect morale by putting others first.

2.) Have your people’s backs.

Nothing will promote strong morale among your people quicker than when they know you have their backs. You give your team the ability to excel and create when they know you support them and when they know you have their backs not just in the good times but in the down times. Loyalty cuts both ways and when you demonstrate it both in words and actions you are protecting your morale not just for today but for tomorrow. Having their backs is about trust and it is a much needed stabilizer when team members don’t have to second guess you.

3.) Keep your word.

Protecting morale is saying you will have their backs and then having it. Having the backs of your people is not giving them carte’ blanch for things that are not in keeping with your values and goals. But it is about you as the leader giving team members permission to use their creative powers to grow and produce. You keep your word by giving your support and equipping them with the necessary tools for their development. You keep your word by being their chief defender when they come under unfair attacks. Keep your word and you will protect morale. It’s an issue of respect.

4.) Be consistent

Nothing will undermine the morale in your office or organization quicker than the inconsistencies of the leadership. Sadly, petty turf wars, jealousies, and office politics can sabotage office morale when self-interests and the actions of a few create a climate that affects the whole. As the leader, this is on-going battle you must be on guard against. A strong leader will be consistent in their dealings with everyone.

5.) Effective communication

There is a difference between regular communication and effective communication. A smart leader will not take it for granted that just because they put forth information that it is enough. George Bernard Shaw said, “The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place.” Effective leaders communicate, and protect morale, not by edict but by relationship. The burden is on you, not your people, for how well you communicate. Don’t leave it to chance. Protect morale by strong communication skills.

What do you say?

I invite your feedback!

1. What have been the biggest contributors to poor office morale that you have experienced?

2. Which one of these five tips would be most helpful in your office?

3. What would you add to the list?

4. What additional encouragement would you give to fellow leaders?

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Leadership Minute: Make The Connection

If you’re talking with your head, you’re going to speak to their heads. If you’re talking with your heart, you’re going to reach their hearts. If you talk with your life, you’re going to reach their lives. – Italo Magni

In many ways leadership is about making connections. It comes with the territory. But the depth of your connections is up to you. When you seek to only connect with others from an intellectual standpoint then your impact will be nominal. When you go a little deeper and lead with your heart then you can make a difference. Certainly your influence is increased. But when you lead with your life and connect on that more intimate level you can change the world. Do you desire to be a world-changing leader? Make the investment to lead with your life and then everything else will fall into place. It will not be easy and will require much from you. But it’s worth it. Make the connection.

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Leadership Minute: Proper Perceptions

Posted March 5, 2014
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Any person who selects a goal in life which can be fully achieved, has already defined his own limitations. – Cavett Robert

As you weigh your goals, dreams, and aspirations be sure not to sell yourself short. By that I mean your goals should stretch you to a place of challenging your own self-imposed limitations. We tend to play it safe by staking our claim to that which we feel we can comfortably achieve. But why settle? Why not set goals and dreams that are out of your present capacity to attain and see how you can grow to the challenge? You will only risk what your perceptions of yourself will allow. Simply put; aim high, remove the lids that would hold you back, and grow to new levels you thought were not possible.

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