leadership development – Doug Dickerson on Leadership

Are You Questioning Your Own Thinking?

We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them. – Albert Einstein

At the turn of the century, Blockbuster reigned supreme in the video rental industry. If your family craved a movie night, chances are, someone had to drive to one of Blockbuster’s 9,000 stores, stroll through rows of DVD-lined shelves, and hand a membership card to a blue-clad employee.

When Reed Hastings, founder of the fledgling startup called Netflix, met with Blockbuster CEO John Antioco in 2000 to propose a partnership, he was laughed out of the office.

Despite changing consumer preferences, Blockbuster doubled down on its store-first model by offering popcorn, books, and toys, while Netflix experimented with a subscription model and no late fees. Only 10 years later, Netflix became one of the largest streaming sources on the internet. Blockbuster declared bankruptcy.

That story is a reminder of what potentially can happen if we do not question our thinking and systems regularly.

Andy Stanley once observed “We should remember that every tradition was originally a good idea – perhaps even revolutionary. But every tradition may not be a good idea for the future.”

Think about your current systems and ways of doing things whether in the context of your organization or elsewhere. What traditions or ways of doing things remain in place? How long has that been? Would they still be considered a good idea or revolutionary by today’s standards?

I am not advocating dumping standing traditions for the sake of dumping them. I am challenging you to question your thinking about them. How could an honest assessment potentially be beneficial to you? Consider the following.

How many of the current traditions and ways of doing things in your organization are inherited or passed down over time?

There may be ways in which you operate in your organization and no one quite understands why other than to say “This is the way we’ve always done it.” If so, now might be a good time to evaluate whether a change can be made.

What would be the most uncomfortable thing about making a change to your standing traditions?

Would it be the fear of possible pushback? Would it be the fear of it being obsolete and time to replace it?

What new advancements in operating systems, technology, and training exist now that didn’t when your traditions were first established?

Over time, things streamline and improve. What advancements and updates could help you operate more efficiently? What training and development would improve employee morale and engagement? Give yourself permission to keep up with the times you are now in.

Are the original goals of your traditions being met and achieved?

If not, why are you still holding on to them? Is it time to do away with them or refine them? Either way, no standard way of doing things should exist if they are not moving the needle in the right direction.

Are you the catalyst for change or the status quo?

There comes a time when every leader must come clean with an honest answer to this critical question. Are you holding your organization, team, or yourself back because you are stuck in the past? Does the memory of the “way things used to be” mean more than the possibility of what could be next?

Questioning your thinking is not easy. It speaks to your motives, your vision, and yes, to your relevance as a leader going forward.

John Maxwell was right when he said, “If you want to reject popular thinking in order to embrace achievement, you’ll have to get used to being uncomfortable.” And this is why it’s important to question your own thinking.

What questions are you asking yourself today?

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Your Leadership Rewards Program

Posted October 9, 2024October 9, 2024
by admin

As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another. – Proverbs 27:17

Stop by any convenience store and one of the things that most of them will offer to you is some form of fuel reward or perk program to earn your business over time.

As a “reward” member, you will earn points that will allow you to save money on fuel and food among other things. In addition to convenience stores, many other retail stores use the same approach. How many points do you have on your Starbucks app?

From a retail and marketing approach, reward points are both a common and popular way of garnering business and offering incentives to loyal customers who frequent their business. It’s a win-win for everyone.

As a leader, you are engaged in varying degrees of relationships with those around you. To that end, your level of influence with each one varies depending on that proximity.

For example, everyone has a general network of friends and acquaintances. They may be people you know at work, people you worship with at church, or people you know from your yoga class at the gym. They are good people and you enjoy being around them.

Now think about those closest to you – your inner circle. These are the ones with whom you have forged a deeper relationship with by design and that you by and large do life with. These people make up your tribe of close confidants, mentors or mentees, and the like. These are the people with you through thick and thin, in the good times and bad. You can count on them and they can count on you.

Think about the “rewards” you offer to people around you – be they in your broader circle of friends, or your inner circle. What should those reward points look like? Here are just a few for consideration.

The reward of your trust

The foundational quality of any leader is trust. Those in your inner circle need to know that in all things you are a trustworthy person. When trust is the foundation of the value that you bring to your leadership, it will be evident in your words and your actions.

The reward point for others is that they know that you are a person they can trust.

The reward of your loyalty

A close second is the reward of loyalty. When you are known as a leader and friend who is loyal you will endear yourself immensely to those around you. When trust is given, loyalty is earned. When loyalty is earned, trust is secured.

The reward point for others is that they know that you will always have their back.

The reward of your encouragement

I once heard it said that the best way to know if someone needs encouragement is determined by whether or not they have a pulse. If they do, they need encouragement. Anyone can be negative and find fault, but when people are in your company it ought to be a time of being uplifted and encouraged.

The reward point for others is that they leave you better off than when they came.

The reward of your counsel

One of the rewards for others in your sphere of influence is that they benefit from your counsel. In the same way, you can benefit from the wisdom and counsel of others in your circle. As iron sharpens iron, so one person can sharpen the other and this is the beauty of selfless leadership.

The reward point for others is that they know you have their best interest at heart and you want to see them succeed.

Final Thoughts

John Maxwell stated, “To add value, leaders must give of themselves, and that rarely happens by accident.” And this is your goal as a leader – intentionally adding value to those around you every day.

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How Popular is Your Thinking?

Posted October 2, 2024October 3, 2024
by admin

Swim upstream. Go the other way. Ignore the conventional wisdom. – Sam Walton

In his book, How Successful People Think, John Maxwell shares the story of Benno Muller-Hill, a professor at the University of Cologne genetics department and how one morning in high school he stood last in a line of forty students in the schoolyard.

His physics professor had set up a telescope so that his students could view a planet and its moons. The first student stepped up to the telescope. He looked though it, but when the teacher asked if he could see anything, the boy said no; his nearsightedness hampered his view. The teacher showed him how to adjust the focus, and the boy finally said he could see the planet and moons.

One by one, the students stepped up to the telescope and saw what they were supposed to see. Finally, the second to last student looked into the telescope and announced that he could not see anything.

“You idiot,” shouted the teacher, “you have to adjust the lenses.”

The student tried, but finally said, “I still can’t see anything. It’s all black.”

The teacher, disgusted, looked through the telescope himself, and then looked up with a strange expression. The lens cap still covered the telescope. None of the students had been able to see anything.

This story is both humorous and tragic in that in many ways it is emblematic of the way people walk through life. Simply put – they see what they want to see and rather tell you what they think you want to hear in place of speaking the truth.

As a leader, you have a duty and an obligation to be clear, precise, honest, and trustworthy in all that you see, in all that you say, and in all that you do. This begins with the way that you think. Much of today’s “popular thinking” is the by-product of culture and social trends that to a large extent is driven by social media. Independent thinking becomes the casualty of what is “popular” in the moment.

What does this look like in your day-to-day leadership and why does it matter? Here are a few thoughts for your consideration.

Popular thinking seeks to blend in; it does not stand out

The easiest thing you will ever do in leadership is to blend in with the culture around you. It’s also the most dangerous. As a leader, you are not meant to be a conformist, but rather be a catalyst for change and to add value to those around you. Your voice ought to be one of hopeful optimism, reality-driven, and pointing to a higher standard.

Popular thinking conforms to culture; it does not transform it

The leader’s duty is not to conform to culture, but to be a reformer of culture and light the path to a better way. What’s popular today will look different in a year and constantly change over time. Being knowledgeable is good for your understanding. Having the wisdom to discern culture is essential to your skillset as a leader. This is what will set you apart from the rest.

Popular thinking marginalizes others; it does not bring people together

The unintended consequence of adapting oneself to the conventional wisdom and “popular” thinking of culture is found in the way people are marginalized and left on the fringes. People lose their voices due to fear of reprisals and for not being a part of the group-think mentality. As a leader, you must learn to use your voice for the voiceless and do so in a way that brings people together, not in a way that divides.

How popular is your thinking?

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The Act of Celebrating Others

Posted August 9, 2024
by admin

Do things for people not because of who they are or what they can do in return, but because of who you are. – Rabbi Harold S. Kushner

The story is told of two shopkeepers who were bitter rivals. The stores were directly across the street from each other, and they would spend each day keeping track of each other’s business. If one got a customer, he would triumphantly smile at his rival.

One night an angel appeared to one of the shopkeepers in a dream and said, “I will give you anything you ask, but whatever you receive, your competitor will receive twice as much. Would you be rich? You can be wealthy, but he will receive twice as wealth. Do you wish to live a long life? You can, but his life will be longer and healthier. What is your desire?” The man frowned, thought momentarily, and said, “Here’s my request: Strike me blind in one eye!”

By contrast, consider the following story of Sir Walter Scott. For years, 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; their greatness was immediately evident. Soon an anonymous critic praised Byron’s poems in a London paper, declaring 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.

These two stories typify the choices you have when it comes to leadership and your attitude toward others- especially if they are experiencing more success than you are at the moment.

Leadership expert John Maxwell noted, “There is nothing wrong with competition. The problem for many leaders is that they end up competing against their peers in their own organization in a way that hurts the team and them.” Your challenge as a leader is not to allow your ambition to be an obstacle that causes more harm than good.

As leaders, we usually are quick to celebrate and promote our wins and victories. We are quick with a social media post to share the news. Yet when was the last time you saw a post by a leader celebrating the accomplishment of a colleague or friend? Those posts are few and far between.

Leadership author and speaker Tom Peters said, “Celebrate what you want to see more of”. What a fantastic observation. His quote goes to the heart of a leader’s motives. So let me ask you – what do you celebrate? what do you want to see more of? Here are my top five for what I want to see more of. What makes your list?

I want to see more leaders adding value to those around them.

The thought here comes down to what leadership is all about – adding value to others. This happens when leaders understand the basic premise of leadership in that it’s not about you.

I want to see more leaders building relationships

In the trenches of leadership, there is no substitute for strong and healthy relationships. When your focus as a leader is relational it makes all the difference in the world. I see far too many leaders chasing transactions and not enough pursuing relationships. Click To Tweet

I want to see more leaders embracing servant leadership

The heart of servant leadership is others-centered and takes to heart the question, “What can I do for you?” as opposed to “What can you do for me?”. Servant leaders put the needs of others before their own.

I want to see more followers becoming leaders

The goal of leadership is not to create more followers but to create more leaders. I want to see more leaders being trained, developed, nurtured, and joining the cause of making the world a better place.

I want to see more authenticity in leadership

We live in a time when people are looking for the real deal. Authentic and humble leaders are a rare commodity in today’s world, but given the state of the world right now, I would say it would be a breath of fresh air to see more authentic leaders

Who are you celebrating today?

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Life’s More Than a Racket

Posted July 11, 2024
by admin

People would rather follow a leader who is always real than one who is always right. – Craig Groeschel

In a recent commencement address at Dartmouth College, tennis star Roger Federer gave a captivating 20-minute speech. He summed it up this way:

Effortless is a myth

It’s only a point

Life is bigger than the court

It’s not often that you can find someone so succinct in helping others put life into context. But Federer pulled it off brilliantly.

In the case of Federer, he applied lessons from his former profession to a broader awareness of life. It’s a strong case for emotional intelligence. This is important because we often look in the wrong places to figure it out. And consequently, it makes no sense to us. But indulge me as I share a few thoughts on his main points.

Effortless is a myth

He pointed out in his speech, that there is no such thing as effortless. He worked extremely hard to make it appear effortless. He was quick to point out that he didn’t get to the level of success he achieved by talent alone. It required a tremendous amount of effort and work. He was pushed by his coaches, family, and even his opponents. His work ethic behind the scenes enabled him to be one of the all-time tennis greats we saw on the court.

Think about all the “overnight” successes you read about. Few see the long days and sleepless nights, few see the struggles that were overcome before everyone saw their success. What may appear to be effortless is the result of countless hours in the trenches working hard to make it appear that way. Any place worth going to is going to require a strong work ethic, grit, perseverance, and yes, effort. Click To Tweet

It’s only a point

One of the hardest things to learn in life is how to fail forward. In his speech, Federer spoke candidly about his losses. He said, “The best in the world are not the best because they win every point, it’s because they know they will lose again and have learned how to deal with it.”

The secret to Federer’s success and yours is found in knowing that you will not win every point. But you stay in the game, keep working hard, and guard your attitude. Federer added, “Negative energy is wasted energy.” When you understand that your failures and mistakes are just a point in the big picture, you can build upon them and come back stronger.

Life is bigger than the court

For Federer, life was meant to be lived outside the boundaries of the tennis court. He said, “Tennis could show me the world, but tennis could never be the world,” and this is how he intentionally set out to live his life. Be it travel, experiencing different cultures, or starting a foundation to serve others, he knew that life was bigger than tennis.

As you think and reflect upon your life, I would like to encourage you to take the same approach. Your life is more than the sum of the court you serve in. Commit yourself to serving a mission larger than yourself.

Final Thoughts

John Maxwell said, “Rich or poor, famous or obscure, young or old, anyone can be someone who gives more than they take.” This is the challenge we face and this is our aspiration as leaders.

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Building Community in Leadership

Posted June 26, 2024June 26, 2024
by admin

There is no power for change greater than a community discovering what it cares about. – Margaret J. Wheatley

Found in the pages of the National Library of Medicine comes a study simply known as the Rosetta effect. The study was conducted in the small town of Roseto, Pennsylvania between 1955-1965.

The study found striking differences in mortality rates from myocardial infarction in a homogeneous Italian-American community and small towns located nearby. The differences disappeared slowly over time as Roseto became more “Americanized”.

The study found that people with stronger social relationships had a 50% higher likelihood of survival than those with weaker social relationships. Roseto teaches us the importance of social connection to our health and well-being.

While these results may not necessarily come as a surprise, it’s important to note that the connection between community and our well-being transcends the boundaries of any physical address. Being connected to a caring community is the goal of any organization that desires to succeed.

In the workplace, we have coined terms such as workplace culture, corporate environment, corporate character, organizational culture, corporate values, and more to describe what decades ago we simply called community.

As leaders, we have often used the vernacular of culture to represent or replace the word for community. And while the intentions are good, the differences are striking.

Scott Perry, the Chief Difference-Maker at Creative on Purpose says, “Culture is driven by ideas and actions. Community is driven by proximity. The people you find yourself surrounded by define your community.” Allow me to take it a step further – your community determines and drives your culture. Without a strong, close-knit community, your culture will not thrive. Workplace culture without community will be relegated to nothing more than slick posters hanging on a wall that mean nothing.

To get community and culture right, what ought to be the focus of the leader? Here are a few suggestions.

Prioritize your community standards

When the standards of your community are established it will be much easier to determine who has proximity. It won’t be a fit for everyone. But establishing your community standards is a non-negotiable because too much is riding on it. Building your team based on your community standards sets the foundation for your culture. Building culture before building community is getting the cart before the horse. A culture that flows out of a shared community will more closely align with the culture you want to create.

Promote community building

The coming together of your team around a shared set of values is the springboard of community that propels your culture. It’s important to be intentional about strong and healthy relationships. Creating a community of people who care for and look out for one another is essential. Proximity does you no good unless your people build healthy relationships and know where they are going and why. Be a leader who connects people, builds bridges, and models what being a good neighbor looks like. Your community and your culture depend on it. Click To Tweet

Practice community daily

Practicing community simply comes down to living out the standards of community that you have defined and consequently applying them to your ideas and actions (culture). Your culture will be strong and continue to get stronger as the right people gain proximity.

Practicing community in the context of culture is about showing up, being there for one another, being appreciative and showing gratitude, focusing on solutions, celebrating wins, and fostering an environment of growth and opportunity.

Final Thoughts

Coretta Scott King observed, “The greatness of a community is most accurately measured by the compassionate actions of its members.” As you desire to build a strong culture, focus first on community. When you get community right, you can get your culture right.

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How Safe Are Your Perceptions?

Posted June 11, 2024June 11, 2024
by admin

Believing in people before they have proved themselves is the key to motivating people to reach their potential. – John Maxwell

In his book Winning Every Day, legendary football coach Lou Holtz shares a story about a man whose car tumbles into a ditch. He called a farmer for help, but the farmer said, “You need a team of young stallions to pull that car. I only have one horse, Dusty. He’s blind and old. We’ll bring him over to the ditch and see what he can do. But don’t expect too much.

The farmer hitched Dusty to the car, snapped a whip in the air, and said, “Pull, Jimmy, pull!” Dusty never moved. The farmer snapped the whip again and said, “Pull, Sammy, pull.” Dusty still didn’t move. The farmer snapped the whip a third time and said, “Pull, Charley, pull.” Dusty remained still. The farmer snapped the whip the fourth time and said, “Pull, Dusty, pull.” With one mighty tug, Dusty yanked the car out of the ditch.

The grateful driver shook the farmer’s hand and said, “Thanks for freeing my car, but there’s something I don’t understand. Dusty never moved when you called out those three different names. Why didn’t you just call Dusty from the start?”

The farmer replied, “I had to call out those three names first. Dusty is blind. He never would have tried if he’d thought he had to do all that work alone.”

As it’s been said, perception can shape our reality. While our perceptions may not always align with the truth, we must be mindful of them while incorporating a healthy dose of discernment. This understanding can enlighten us and encourage introspection, leading to personal growth and development.

How we form personal and professional relationships is forged by perceptions. We make judgments, right or wrong, on numerous factors such as appearance, personality, and whether or not there’s a chemistry that attracts us.

But how often have we fallen short as leaders regarding false perceptions about another person that we later regretted? How many times have you been on the wrong end of false perceptions?

Perceptions are one area where we can improve as leaders. So, what rules of thumb can we apply to help us avoid falling victim to negative perceptions of the people we lead? Here are a few to consider.

Believe the best in others

I learned from John Maxwell many years ago that he places a ten on every person he meets. In other words, his beliefs about them are high. Do they always live up to the ten he gave them? No, but he always believed the best in them.

The belief and support you give others go a long way in building their confidence and desire to live up to your expectations. The people you lead need your best thoughts, not your worst assumptions.

Don’t rush to judgment.

Good leaders can read people, but it’s a practice developed over time and years. Be careful not to pass judgment on people too soon. Give your relationship and chemistry time to develop. Don’t allow your preconceived beliefs to get in the way of another person's potential. Click To Tweet The people you lead need your confidence, not your criticism.

Prioritize relationships

When developing relationships is your priority, it can dispel false perceptions you may have toward the other person. Through relationships, you gain understanding and awareness that will empower you with greater understanding and empathy. The people you lead need your hand in friendship, not your skepticism.

Make the first move

The thought here is simply this: Don’t wait until things are beyond repair to engage, listen, and work on this portion of your leadership. As a leader, you must initiate and move in the direction of your people. They will be more likely to respond positively when you first move toward them.

As you consider how you handle perceptions in your leadership, be mindful that someone once took a chance on you. Be gracious and humble, and don’t allow false assumptions to hold another person back before they even have a chance to prove you wrong.

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Embrace The Discomfort of Leadership

Posted April 29, 2024
by admin

The more you practice embracing discomfort, the more confidence you’ll gain in your ability to accept new challenges. – Amy Morin

Many years ago while in junior high school, I played football. The drills in practice that the coaches put us through were designed to help get us in shape but, also to learn the right way to play the game.

During practice, one coach, in particular, often told us, “Boys, if you’re going to do it wrong, do it wrong to the best of your ability.” This was his way of letting us know that he expected our best at all times. We did our best and that particular year we won our league championship.

When it comes to life and leadership, we tend to be creatures of comfort. We adapt to certain routines, patterns, and ways of doing things. Some are good, some are not, but it’s what we know and do, and change doesn’t always come easy. When we are set in our ways, we tend to choose the path of least resistance over the discomfort of change.

In his book, Hidden Potential: The Science of Achieving Greater Things, bestselling author and psychologist, Adam Grant has some fascinating insights about being creatures of discomfort. He argues that “the best way to accelerate growth is to embrace, seek, and amplify discomfort.” And in leadership, this is where we often fall short. We try everything we can to run from discomfort. And when we do, we are depriving ourselves of greater learning opportunities.

Grant identifies three forms of courage to embrace. Allow me to share these with you and how they apply to you as a leader.

The first form of courage: Being brave enough to embrace discomfort and throw your learning style out the window.

Grant states, “The way you like to learn is what makes you comfortable, but it isn’t necessarily how you learn best. Sometimes you even learn better in the mode that makes you the most uncomfortable, because you have to work harder at it.”

Embracing the discomfort of a new learning style can be challenging. We would just as soon stick with what we know and do, even if it’s not as effective. Why? We are comfortable.

Leadership Application: When you are unwilling to embrace being uncomfortable and learn new things, you run the risk of being comfortable and stagnant. You might be surprised to learn that the leaders ahead of you are very uncomfortable at times.

The second form of courage: Being brave enough to use your knowledge as you acquire it.

Grant states, “You can’t become truly comfortable with a skill until you’ve practiced it enough to master it. But practicing it before you master it is uncomfortable, so you often avoid it.”

If you start today and embrace the discomfort and mistakes along the way, you will make progress. But if you wait until you are “ready” there will be little progress.

Leadership Application: Don’t wait to step up and lead when you think you’re “ready”. Embrace the discomfort of using new skills and knowledge to make an impact now. If you wait until the discomfort of being “ready” passes, you may never have the opportunity again.

The third form of courage: Not just embracing and seeking discomfort, but amplifying it by being brave enough to make more mistakes.

Grant shares insights into how we learn new languages and why kids tend to absorb foreign languages faster than adults. He states, “They’re largely immune to the fear of embarrassment and the discomfort of making mistakes. They’re not scared of feeling stupid or being judged.” And this is the secret to living with the discomfort – being brave enough to embrace more mistakes.

Leadership Application: In leadership, we tend to do the opposite. We want to avoid making mistakes at all costs. We are afraid of being judged or ridiculed. But the more we embrace mistakes, the closer we are to arriving at new levels of leadership that our comfort zones deny us.

Are you ready to embrace the discomfort of leadership?

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Lessons From The Fog

Posted April 17, 2024
by admin

You cannot lead others until you first lead yourself. You can lead yourself at your best only if you invest in yourself first. – John Maxwell

A few months back I was on my way to do a photoshoot. This particular one was a beach location which I always enjoy.

On this day, however, a fog had set in. What made it somewhat unusual was that a dense fog of that magnitude would likely occur in the early morning. However, this was a mid-afternoon shoot which caught me off guard.

Visibility on the beach was significantly diminished but the sunlight that peeked in through the clouds made for some fascinating shots. I was mesmerized by the beauty of the beach that day. The combination of the fog and piercing light gave me a new and much different perspective than I had ever experienced. It was truly memorable.

My approach that day to the photoshoot could have been one defined by frustrations over elements beyond my control. In photography, that is a common occurrence. One second you are ready for a shot and 30 seconds later the lighting changes or some other issue happens that momentarily alters your ability to take the photograph.

In photography, you can wait it out and make the necessary adjustments. I easily could have allowed the fog to cause me to throw in the towel and cancel the appointment, instead, I seized the opportunity to take some amazing photographs that I otherwise would not have been able to capture.

Life works this way too. Seldom does everything go according to plan all the time. Life happens. And when it does, you can either adjust and make the best of it, or you can be overcome by it.

There will be seasons when you find yourself in a fog as a leader. Call it a funk. Call it what you will, but you know what I’m talking about. You may be reading this now and saying “That’s me!”.

I must confess that I have been in a fog for several months. One of my strengths as a leader over the past few decades has been as a writer. Whether on my website’s blog, in my books, or contributing to magazines and other business publications, writing has been my go-to medium for communicating in the thought leadership space.

To that end, writing has always been a natural talent for me. Words have always flowed freely and any complaints from editors have centered around too many words, not too few. But for the past few months, I have found myself in a fog where my struggle was not figuring out what to do about too many words, but what to do about none.

If you are in a fog right now let me share a few lessons I’ve learned.

Don’t panic

From a meteorological perspective, fog occurs when the cool air mixes with the warm air over the water, the moist air cools until its humidity reaches 100%, and fog forms. In other words, it’s a natural weather phenomenon.

In leadership, it’s not uncommon to find yourself in a fog. It happens. But when it does, that’s not the time to panic, it’s a time to see your surroundings from a different perspective and draw on your leadership instincts to get through it. Trust the process. The fog won’t last forever, but it will give you time to learn new things about your surroundings and yourself.

Learn from it

Before the photoshoot, I was confident about my camera setting. I had done this before. But the fog changed everything. When you find yourself in a fog, you will draw from a different or seldom-used skill set to navigate your way. Embrace it and refine it.

From a leadership perspective, we don’t like being in a fog. We tend to panic and feel like things are slipping away from us. But it’s the time you spend in the fog that you learn a lot about yourself and what you are capable of. Don’t despise the fog, learn from it and be a better leader for it.

Be patient

Here’s what I know – the fog doesn’t last forever. And while we don’t like being in one, the lesson here is simple – be patient. The fog will lift. You will come through it.

The Roman poet Horace said, “Adversity has the effect of eliciting talents which in prosperous circumstances would have lain dormant.” And this is the end game of emerging from the fog, to elicit talents and skills you haven’t used in a while. This will make you a better person and a better leader.

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Your Life In Leadership

Posted February 29, 2024
by admin

Life is too short to be little. – Benjamin Disraeli

The late Fred Rogers, at his induction into the Television Hall of Fame, gave a speech that I believe typifies what leadership is all about. Rogers said, “Fame is a four-letter word: like tape or zoom or face or pain or love, what ultimately matters is what we do with it”. And he’s right.

Rogers’s perspective on what is important may seem like a throwback in time, but the message is timeless. Rogers added, “Who in your life has been a servant to you? Who has helped you love the good that grows within you? No matter who they are, whether here or in imagine how pleased those people must be to know that you thought of them right now”.

Italo Magni said, “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”. So here is the question: On which level do you, as a leader, want to lead?

Here are a few observations from that quote that I believe are worth taking into consideration for your leadership.

When you lead with your head, you can help.

There is certainly an advantage to leading from a position of knowledge. We need smart and wise leaders. It lends credibility to your leadership to be knowledgeable in your field. But leading with your head can only take you so far in leadership.

Howard Hendricks said, “You can impress people at a distance, but you can impact them only up close.” You can draw a person in with your knowledge, but if you want to keep them there and make a difference, there has to be more to it.

When you lead with your heart, you can make a difference

When you lead on this level, you have taken a major step in expanding your influence as a leader. When you lead with your head you earn respect because of what you know. When you lead with your heart, you earn respect because of who you are. Click To TweetAnd that is the difference maker.

Malcolm Forbes said, “At the heart of any good business is a chief executive with one”. Leading from the heart provides the emotional intelligence that you need to integrate head knowledge into a plan of action that can easily be embraced. Until you connect with the heart you will never get to the life-changing encounters that come from leading with your heart.

When you lead with your life, you can change the world

Leading with your life is the most powerful form of leadership. This level of leadership embodies all that you know and all of your passions and unites them into a life committed to adding value to others.

Final Thoughts

Fred Rogers also said, “If you could only sense how important you are to the lives of those you meet, how important you can be to the people you may never dream of. This is something of yourself that you leave in every meeting with another person.”

Stop and consider the relationships you have and how your influence is making a difference. When you lead with your life, your influence has no limits. What will be the measure of your leadership?

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