leaders – Page 5 – Doug Dickerson on Leadership

Three Locks That Hold You Back

Posted November 28, 2014
by admin

Life has no limitations except the ones you make. – Les Brown

The story is told of master magician and locksmith Harry Houdini on one of his European tours and how he found himself locked in by his own thinking. After he had been searched and manacled in a Scottish town jail, the old turnkey shut him in a cell and walked away. Houdini quickly freed himself from his shackles and then tackled the cell lock. But despite all his efforts, the lock wouldn’t open.

Finally, ever more desperate but completely exhausted, he leaned against the door–and it swung open so unexpectedly that he nearly fell headlong into the corridor. The turnkey had not locked it.

One difficult lesson for leaders to learn is that it’s not always the big stumbling blocks along the way that will do you in. In fact, just the opposite can be true if you are not careful. From the story we learn that what Houdini thought was locking him in the cell was the very thing that would set him free. Here’s the lesson: at times what you think is the problem is not the problem and the small things you overlook are the ones that give you the most grief.

So what are some of the locks in leadership that will hold you back and keep you from reaching your potential? There are many, but I will highlight three. If you will pay attention to these little things now it can save you a lot of heartache later.

The lock of low expectations

You will only rise to the level of success that you envision and strive for. Your expectations are the measuring rod of your dreams. If you are locked in by low expectations then high expectations will never occur.

But who or what is the source of your low expectations? You must identify and get to the root of your low expectations if you want to turn things around. Perhaps it’s a lack of confidence in your abilities. It may have been a bad break that you haven’t recovered from. Maybe you bought-in to someone else’s low expectation they placed on you.

Regardless of the source, you must disqualify it of its place in your vocabulary, your mindset, and your vision going forward. You can unlock your potential to growth and success when you remove low expectations from your playbook.

The lock of improper comparisons

One potentially demoralizing habit a leader can do is to get caught up in is the comparison game. You know the drill, “He has more clients”, “She has more contacts”, “He gets all the breaks”, “Her family name got her where she is,” and on it goes.

It’s all too easy to make improper comparisons and allow that to be a source of discouragement and a setback. You are not called to run anyone else’s race but your own. Improper comparisons are a lock that will always hold back so long as you are consumed by the other person and your perceptions of what is not fair.

As a leader you will ultimately have to look inward and upward if you want to be at peace. So long as you allow someone else to be your measure of success then you will always doubt and second guess yourself. Find peace at the end of the day in knowing that you did your best. Unlock the potential of everything that is great about you – not others.

The lock of a bad attitude

Ultimately, your attitude is your deal-breaker. With a good attitude you can unlock all the potential that is uniquely yours to achieve. A bad attitude will keep you locked up in a cell of your own making that will always hold you back.

Do other people sometimes get the better breaks? Do bad things happen to good and honest people? Of course it does. Life is not always fair. But life is made better or made worse by the way you respond and the attitude that you choose.

As a leader it’s time to pick some locks and set yourself free. It’s time to raise expectations equal to your talent – not equal to your fears. It’s time to quit comparing yourself to others and change your attitude.

It’s time to unlock your potential!

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What Will Your People Say When You Move On?

Posted November 14, 2014
by admin

After a real leader has moved on, the people who worked for him or her will always say, “I learned more and did more than I ever thought I could. – Alan M. Webber

A story is told that when Pompeii was destroyed by the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius there were many persons buried in the ruins who were afterwards found in very different positions.

There were some found in deep vaults, as if they had gone there for security. There were some found in lofty chambers. But where did they find the Roman sentinel?

They found him standing at the city gate where he had been placed by the captain, with his hands still grasping the weapon. There, while the earth shook beneath him, there, while the floods of ashes and cinders overwhelmed him, he had stood at his post, and there, after a thousand years, he was found.

The legacy of that soldier standing guard is a testament to his loyalty and sense of duty. In the face of death he did not abandon his post and was a true soldier to the end.

There comes a time when every leader moves on. It may be after many years of faithful and dedicated service to an organization, or it may be after just a short period of time. But the question under consideration is what will be said about you by those who remain. Just like the soldier standing guard at Pompeii, you too will leave a legacy. What do you think the conversation will sound like after you walk out the door? Wouldn’t it be nice to know that this is what they were saying?

“He taught me how to serve”

How nice it would be to know that the people you leave behind will reflect on this attribute of your leadership. Real leaders get this principle and drive home the importance of it routinely – it’s not about you. Your title or position does not make you a leader. It is however, a responsibility given and an opportunity to seize in being a part of something larger than yourself. It’s a leadership principle you have lived by and one that others got to see up close and personal. It stuck. Now you are gone- but not forgotten. A few former colleagues gather around after you are gone and the conversation starts off like this: “Remember the first time he came to us and told us that we were adopting a family during the holidays and…”

“She led with integrity”

At the end of the day your integrity is the most important thing you carry with you out the door. Are the accolades nice? Yes. But you built your legacy as a leader on the premise of integrity. You can walk out the door with your head held high and with no regrets. It was when you modeled integrity on a daily basis that your people knew that they could follow and trust you. When you easily could have cut corners on quality and turned a larger profit, you made the right choice. Whether times were good or times were bad, you always dealt openly, honestly, and fairly with your people. Guess what? They were paying attention. You built your integrity not on promises given but on promises kept. Your word was good. You delivered. And your people will always remember you for it.

“He inspired me to be my best”

There may have been times along the way when your people were mistaken about your high expectations and the way in which you pushed them to become better. They may have considered you to be unreasonable or too tough at the time. But you inspired them to be their best and to reach their full potential because you saw something in them that they didn’t see in themselves – like a diamond in the rough. But you didn’t let up and they rose to the occasion. At some point they bought in to your inspiration and they are the better for it. Wouldn’t you like to hear that conversation? Now, your legacy will live on through them.

“She left too soon”

How fitting it would be to know that when you left it was considered too soon by those who served with you. There’s no shortage of stories with bad endings when the leader leaves and there is a sigh of relief- but not so with you. Why? It’s because you were a real leader who walked among your people, built relationships, served with humility, led by example, insisted on excellence, and gave it your all.

When you leave it can be a cause for celebration or it can be a time of passing the torch to the leaders you have raised up. What your people will say about you is being decided by how you lead them today. What will they say when you leave?

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Building Bridges and Tearing Down Walls

Posted October 24, 2014
by admin

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: Know Your Surroundings

Posted October 7, 2014
by admin

I really do believe in the influence of your surroundings. – Matt Sharp

As a leader, your surroundings are an important factor in the formation and execution of your leadership style. The people you surround yourself with may not always be of your choosing. Just as some circumstances are out of your control, so too, are some of the people around you such as co-workers. Being aware of your surroundings is about your cognizance of toxic behaviors and attitudes that you need to be on your guard against. It’s an awareness of your surroundings and knowing who to keep out of your circle. But when you know your surroundings here is what else you know: You know who you can trust. You know who has your best interests at heart and who the pretenders are. You know the power of being with like-minded people and what you can accomplish together when ego and who gets the credit is not the driving factor. Knowing your surroundings is all about knowing who you want to surround yourself with. Are you familiar with your surroundings?

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The Power of Ordinary Leaders

Posted September 12, 2014
by admin

If you want a starring role, you’ll miss the miracle. If you’re willing to be an ordinary extra, God will do something extraordinary. – Mark Batterson, The Grave Robber

A story is told of a group of elderly, cultured gentlemen who met often to exchange wisdom and drink tea. Each host tried to find the finest and most costly varieties, to create exotic blends that would arouse the admiration of his guests.

When the most venerable and respected of the group entertained, he served his tea with unprecedented ceremony, measuring the leaves from a golden box. The assembled epicures praised this exquisite tea. The host smiled and said, “The tea you have found so delightful is the same tea our peasants drink. I hope it will be a reminder to all that the good things in life are not necessarily the rarest or the most costly.”

In recent years there has been an explosion of books and material on the topic of leadership. I am not only a contributor to the topic of leadership but I am also a consumer as it’s in my interest both personally and professionally to grow and develop. A recent Google search of leadership books netted more than 67,300,000 hits. Talk about your reading list!

With the availability of such quantities of leadership material out there perhaps it’s time to think through our expectations of leadership and what constitutes being a good leader in today’s world. Too often we look at those who have a large spotlight and are seen as the “superstars” in the world of leadership and think we can never measure up. We’ve read all about going from “good to great” but how do we simply become good or better- much less “great”?

I’d like to offer up some practical tips and words of encouragement for all current and aspiring “ordinary extra” leaders who daily work to make a difference. Here are four tips to help you become better.

Stay the course

My friend Dr. Greg Morris (on Twitter @LdshpDynamics) uses this phrase frequently and it has stuck with me – stay the course. I think on many levels this is part of the secret of being a good leader. There’s nothing really glamourous about it. It’s just a simple reminder that being a good leader and becoming a better leader is a matter of commitment. When times are tough – stay the course. When critics attack – stay the course. In times of success – stay the course. Leaders who last are committed and committed leaders stay the course.

Stay curious

Leaders who grow and improve their leadership skills over time have an insatiable desire to learn and grow. Curiosity is the gift that keeps on giving and good leaders ask the questions that one no else is asking, and as my friend Dan Rockwell suggests, will ask the second questions (http://bit.ly/1pWVyeG). Curious leaders want to know what his or her people are saying and thinking so that the culture of the organization remains healthy and strong. Curious leaders want to know what the customers are thinking in order to better serve them and to improve the bottom line. Curiosity will keep your thinking fresh and your skills sharp. What are you curious about?

Stay connected

It’s similar in nature to curiosity so being connected is central to your growth as a leader. Being connected is about relationships and communication. These are the basic tenants of your leadership development. Good leaders value and build relationships. Communication works best when relationships are strong. Being connected is an intentional act of your leadership. There are no shortcuts when it comes to being connected and there’s no better person to do it than you. If you want your people to connect with you then you have to take the first steps and connect with them.

Stay confident

Confidence is a key component to your success. You have achieved the measure of success that you enjoy, in part, because of confidence in your abilities and using them wisely. But this encouragement is dispensed also with a dose of warning. Be careful not to become arrogant and believe it’s all about you. It’s not. But confidence is needed in order to grow and become a better leader. In as much as low morale is devastating to the culture of your organization, so too, will low self-esteem hinder your personal growth. Stay confident in your abilities and keep your ego to yourself.

When you are willing to be an “ordinary extra” type of a leader you can make a significant difference. Your name may not be in the limelight but your contributions are just as valuable. Stay the course!

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Leadership Minute: Learn From Your Trials

Posted August 27, 2014
by admin

Trials teach us what we are; they dig up the soil, and let us see what we are made of. – Charles Spurgeon

No one likes to go through trails. I don’t; do you? But as leaders we are not immune from them. The truth is- bad things happen to good people and if you hang around in leadership long enough you will go through trails and testing. But that’s not necessarily a bad thing. It’s during trails and testing that the soil of your leadership is being dug up. It’s during these times that you learn what you are made of. Times of testing are not always pleasant but what you can learn from them can be invaluable. Granted, we’d prefer to learn about who we are in more pleasant circumstances than trials or difficulties, but if we did, our learning would be incomplete. Your trials will teach you what you are made of but most importantly they will help you put down deeper roots. When you come through your trials you will be a stronger leader. Are you ready to learn?

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Leadership Minute: Smoke Screens

Posted June 24, 2014
by admin

The Wright brothers flew right through the smoke screen of impossibility. – Charles Kettering

Many of the smoke screens that you will face in life are diversions that would attempt to throw you off course. Before every great breakthrough is a great struggle. Hanging in the balance between these great struggles is your breakout moment- the realization of your dream. It could a new career path, an invention, a promotion, a new relationship, the writing of a book, etc. But first you must clear the air of the smoke screen. For the Wright brothers it was an unrelenting persistence to take flight. And if they had listened to their critics they would have been grounded. You must fly through the smoke screens of doubters and the prophesiers of the impossible. You’ve worked too hard, sacrificed too much, and dreamed too long to be denied now. This is your time and this is your moment. Don’t give up! Are you ready to fly?

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Leadership Minute: Are You Having Fun?

People rarely succeed unless they have fun in what they are doing. – Dale Carnegie

How important is it to you to have fun at what you do? As leaders we tend to be task oriented and focused on getting the job done. We tend to be restless at times and are ready to tackle new projects once one is completed. Clearly we understand the importance of our work and take pride in it. But can you attach the label of ‘fun’ to what you do? While you may not be able to label your work as ‘fun’ you should have a sense of enjoyment and fun executing it. Life is hard, work is hard, and leadership is hard. But your level of success will only increase if you can find and take pleasure in what you do. A personal leadership inventory would look like this: is my work rewarding and fulfilling, and do I enjoy it? Fun is not your primary concern but it sure helps. Are you having fun?

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Leadership Minute: What Do You Expect?

Posted June 19, 2014
by admin

If you accept the expectations of others, especially negative ones, then you will never change the outcome. – Michael Jordan

People will place certain expectation on you as a leader. It comes with the territory and is not uncommon. But what expectations you choose to accept is one of the most important choices you will make. While well-meaning people may place expectations on you their expectations may not always rise to your standards. Negative expectations only make matters worse. Where you are today and where you plan to be in the future is a combination of hard work, goals, vision, perseverance, and adherence to a high level of expectations. Tune out the negative, don’t settle for good enough, and be careful who you listen to. The expectations you set for yourself, not the ones set for you by others, will be your greatest asset.

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Leadership Minute: Be Careful Where You Sit

Posted June 16, 2014
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The world is full of cactus, but we don’t have to sit on it. – Will Foley

As a leader you will encounter your fair share of prickly people. Sometimes there is no escaping them. But how the behaviors and actions of others affect you is your choice. It’s a given that we all can have a bad day now and then and be a little prickly ourselves. But then there are those “special” people- you know the ones, they are just not happy unless they are unhappy. When life handed them a lemon instead of making lemonade they planted more lemons. But that is their choice. You will run across these people now and then. My advice? As best you can, keep running. You don’t have to sit there with them. Your happiness and disposition is one of the most important leadership decisions you will make so don’t surrender it to anyone. Be careful where you sit.

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