Tag: Leadership Development. Professional Development

Three Questions for the Gray Areas of Leadership

greay
Photo Credit: Google Images

I love the gray areas, but I like the gray areas as considered by bright, educated, courageous people. – Alan Furst

A story is told of Lord Halifax, a former foreign secretary of Great Britain, who once shared a railway compartment with two prim-looking spinsters. A few moments before reaching his destination the train passed through a tunnel. In the utter darkness Halifax kissed the back of his hand noisily several times.

When the train drew into the station, he rose, lifted his hat, and in a gentlemanly way said, “May I thank whichever one of you two ladies I am indebted to for the charming incident in the tunnel.” He then beat a hasty retreat, leaving the two ladies glaring at each other.

I can just imagine the reaction of the two ladies when Lord Halifax left the compartment. Do you think they ever figured out that they had both been played? What lingering doubts did they leave with?

As leaders we pride ourselves in our values, mission statements, and principles that we subscribe to personally and professionally. But sooner or later our beliefs and assumptions will be challenged. Gray areas will emerge. What we once thought of in strict black and white terms become clouded. Now what?

Here are three guiding questions worth asking when the answers aren’t so clear.

  1. What does my head say?

When faced with gray areas in your leadership you can use your cognitive skills to walk       through all available options. Not every circumstance you face as a leader is going to have an answer readily available in some employee manual collecting dust on a shelf somewhere. There will be situations thrown at you that you didn’t prepare for nor did you see coming.

The key for you as a leader is to think through the situation and in a level-headed way in order to chart a path forward. One simple way to navigate through the gray area is to ask how your decision will either uphold or take away from your values.

  1. What does my heart say?

Gray areas compel us to think different. We wrestle with the gray areas because intuitively we know that life is not always predictable. Stuff happens. Our cognitive skills are important, but there does come a time we have to think with our hearts. Some situations call for emotional intelligence to find the answers we need.

The key for you as a leader is striking a balance between what you know in your heart and what you know in your head. How do you reconcile the two in gray areas to arrive at the best solution?

  1. What does my history say?

As a leader no doubt you’ve struggled with gray areas. Beliefs that you once thought were “settled” some time ago suddenly resurface and challenge your beliefs today. I’ve been there many times. Your growth as a leader is always evolving. The challenges you faced five, ten, twenty years ago are going to look different from the challenges you face today. And they should.

The key to dealing with gray areas in your leadership is to utilize all three questions in your approach. Welcome gray areas as an opportunity to grow and develop as a leader. In the end; trust your head, trust your heart, and lean on your history. This is where your judgment in dealing with the gray areas has been formed.

 

© 2016 Doug Dickerson

Click this link to subscribe to my Youtube Channel:  https://www.youtube.com/user/managementmoment

Please follow and like us:
error
fb-share-icon
Tweet
fb-share-icon

Are You an Opportunistic Leader?

opportunity

Your big opportunity may be right where you are now. – Napoleon Hill

In Bits & Pieces a number of years back the story is told of an energetic young man who began work as a clerk in a hardware store. Like many old- time hardware stores, the inventory included thousands of dollars’ worth of items that were obsolete or seldom called for by customers. The young man was smart enough to know that no thriving business could carry such an inventory and still show a healthy profit. He proposed a sale to get rid of the stuff. The owner was reluctant but finally agreed to let him set up a table in the middle of the store and try to sell off a few of the oldest items. Every product was priced at ten cents. The sale was a success and the young fellow got permission to run a second sale. It, too, went over just as well as the first. This gave the young clerk an idea. Why not open a store that would sell only nickel and dime items? He could run the store and his boss could supply the capital.

The young man’s boss was not enthusiastic. “The plan will never work,” he said, “because you can’t find enough items to sell at a nickel and a dime.” The young man was disappointed but eventually went ahead on his own and made a fortune out of the idea. His name was F.W. Woolworth.

Years later his old boss lamented, “As near as I can figure it, every word I used in turning Woolworth down has cost me about a million dollars!”

When thinking of an opportunistic person what mental image comes to mind? For some it’s an image of a person seizing a moment in time to be unscrupulous or devious. But I’d like to frame it from a different perspective.

As a leader with influence you have many opportunities that come your way and not all of them have to do with what you gain. Often it’s about what you can give. Here are five characteristics of opportunistic leaders.

Opportunistic leaders take time to listen

This point might stand in contrast to the “leader” in the organization who is more accustomed to talking and being heard. But opportunistic leaders understand the value of listening to his or her people. The best leaders know that it’s not always about what you have to say that is important but in what you hear. Be an opportunistic leader and tune in to those around you. You might just learn something.

Opportunistic leaders look for ways to serve

Leaders who make their mark on the world do so by finding ways to serve others and causes greater than themselves. This can be done in so many ways and on so many different levels large and small. This opportunistic leader is less concerned about the limelight and simply finds joy in serving others and making their small corner of the world a better place to live. In what ways are you serving those around you?

Opportunistic leaders are always growing

Opportunistic leaders have a healthy appetite for personal growth and development. It’s understood therefore that it won’t happen by chance or without being intentional. What personal growth and development and leadership books are you reading? How about magazines like Success (my favorite) and other resources to help you sharpen your leadership skills? Opportunistic leaders are always striving to be better and make their personal growth and development a priority.

Opportunistic leaders build relationships

A good leader understands the value of relationships and will make building them a priority. An opportunistic leader knows that strong relationships are the foundation of his organization and it contributes to a healthy culture. As good of a benefit as that is; it’s even nicer for your people to know that you care about them as a person and that you see their worth not just for what they do but simply for who they are.

Opportunistic leaders are willing to take risks

Some might argue that risk-taking is throwing caution to the wind, but I beg to differ. Opportunistic leaders realize that this brief moment in time spent on earth is but a vapor and every moment is a gift from God to make a difference. Mark Twain said, “Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did.” I believe it’s true.

Opportunistic leaders are not in it for themselves. They are looking for ways to leave their mark on the world and to add value to others along the way.

Have you found your next opportunity?

 

©2016 Doug Dickerson

 

Please follow and like us:
error
fb-share-icon
Tweet
fb-share-icon

It’s Not About the Mission Statement

mission

Clients do not come first. Employees come first. If you take care of your employees, they will take care of the clients. – Richard Branson

Writing for Talent Management and HR (http://bit.ly/1KWCe2t ), John Hollon cites a survey concerning the state of employee engagement. Among his finding that employers need to pay attention to include: More than 54 percent of employees have felt frustrated about work; only 38 percent of workers strongly agree that their manager has established a strong working relationship with them; some forty percent say they don’t get their company’s vision, or worse yet, have never seen it; nearly 67 percent of American workers can name at least one thing that would prevent them from taking any kind of risk at work.

Intuitively, many leaders know that employee engagement is critical to the success of their organization. Sadly, many employees feel that their leaders in management are out of touch. In fact, forty percent in the cited survey said they don’t get their company’s vision or haven’t even seen it. How is this possible?

Let’s be clear- a mission or vision statement hanging on a wall in some obscure place in the break room is not employee engagement. Yes, a mission statement is important. It’s important that your employees understand your vision and the role they play in seeing it fulfilled. But that alone will not suffice.

At times this is a concept lost on many leaders. Crystalizing a key point on this topic is the former president of Starbucks International, Howard Behar. In his book, It’s Not About The Coffee, he writes, “At Starbucks we’re in the human service business, not the customer service business.” That’s the distinction. Behar adds, “I’ve always said, we’re not in the coffee business serving people, we’re in the people business serving coffee.”

Employee engagement begins with leadership engagement. Employee engagement begins with leaders who are engaged in the lives of the people who make the mission of the work possible. It’s that simple and it’s that difficult. It takes work. It means that as a leader you have to come out from behind your desk and get connected to your people. So what does leadership engagement look like and what are some core characteristics? Here are three for your consideration.

Leadership engagement is proactive.

So long as your approach to employee engagement is a reactionary one – one that responds only during a crisis- it does not qualify as a model of employee engagement. Leadership engagement, for example, says that the health and well-being of your people is important and an investment in them and will include a wellness program because you know that when your employees are healthy they will be more productive.

There are many ways to be proactive and engage your employees but sitting back and waiting to put out the next fire is not one of them. Your mission statement means little to your people so long as your commitment to them is an afterthought.

Leadership engagement is personal

A smart leader understands that people are your most appreciable asset. You can have the best business plan in the world, and the best mission statement to go along with it, but without people you are going nowhere. Leaders who excel at employee engagement understand this principle and take to heart the importance of building meaningful relationships. Your connection to your customer/clients flows through your employees. It’s so much easier for your employee to advocate for your brand and your product when the relationship with its leadership is strong.

Make it a practice of your leadership to get to know your people and build relationships. At the end of the day your people want to know that you care about them and not just the bottom line.

Leadership engagement is a practical

Employee engagement works best when at the end of the day it’s practical. Your engagement with your people is critical but is it must be practical in its application. For example; if communication within your organization is lacking and information is not reaching the right people in a timely fashion; a workshop on retirement options on Monday at 9:00 a.m. may not be the most urgent event on the calendar.

Leadership engagement is all about knowing the pulse of your organization, understanding the needs of your people, and cutting through the layers of bureaucracy to get results. Never underestimate the power of being practical.

Employee engagement issues will continue to be front and center in most organizations. There is always room for improvement. A commitment to employee engagement begins when leaders are engaged with their people.

What do you say?

 

© 2016 Doug Dickerson

 

Please follow and like us:
error
fb-share-icon
Tweet
fb-share-icon

Building Bridges and Tearing Down Walls

bridges

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?

 

© 2016 Doug Dickerson

Please follow and like us:
error
fb-share-icon
Tweet
fb-share-icon

Choose One Chair: Evolving as a Leader of Destiny

chair

“Yesterday all my troubles seemed so far away. Now it looks as though they’re here to stay. Oh, I believe in yesterday.”- “Yesterday”, by Paul McCartney and John Lennon

In Guidepost magazine a number of years back Luciano Pavarotti relates a story from when he was a boy and his father introduced him to the wonders of song.  He recounts, “He urged me to work very hard to develop my voice. Arrigo Pola, a professional tenor in my hometown of Modena, Italy, took me as a pupil. I also enrolled in a teachers college. On graduating, I asked my father, ‘Shall I be a teacher or a singer?’ “‘Luciano,’ my father replied, ‘if you try to sit on two chairs, you will fall between them. For life, you must choose one chair.’ “I chose one. It took seven years of study and frustration before I made my first professional appearance. It took another seven to reach the Metropolitan Opera. And now I think whether it’s laying bricks, writing a book–whatever we choose–we should give ourselves to it. Commitment, that’s the key. Choose one chair.”

At some point every leader has that moment of awakening when one chair wins over another. The process of getting there will vary person to person, but that day will ultimately come.

Your growth and development as a leader is a fluid process. Foundational character principles that guide you on your journey will not change, but for the sake of future growth and development as a leader you must be open to change and new ideas.

As leaders we also know that the only constant is change. What worked for you in years past may not be sufficient today. If you are content to just “phone it in” and coast as a leader on how it was done in years gone by then you may like have lost your edge. So what is a leader to do? Here are three basic questions you need to answer. Reaching your destiny as a leader may very well depend on it.

Is yesterday’s passion enough?

Passion is the fuel of your leadership. With it the sky is the limit in terms of your potential and destiny. It’s what keeps you up late at night and gets you up early in the morning. It’s the “why” that gives your life meaning and purpose.

Yet perhaps the wear and tear of the daily grind has taken its toll on you. Perhaps your dreams haven’t been realized and you feel there is no use in going forward. Let me encourage you today to buy-in to the words of Joel Osteen when he said, “If you’re alive and breathing, you can still become everything God has created you to be.” Becoming a leader of destiny requires a new passion going forward. While the passion you started out with may have been sufficient at the time; today’s goals, dreams, and destiny will require more.

Is yesterday’s attitude adequate?

If passion is the fuel of your leadership then your attitude determines your mileage. How far you go is about possessing the right attitude. Your attitude in years gone by may have served you well up to a point, but to get to the next level you may have to step it up a notch.

Zig Ziglar said, “Your attitude, not your aptitude, will determine you altitude.” And that is the secret to achieving your leadership destiny. Leaders who have stood the test of time understand the importance of a positive attitude. Every leader has also dealt with the challenges-both internally and externally, of right thinking. Your attitude will cause you to reach your destiny as a leader or it will prevent it. Be sure it’s a good one.

Is yesterday’s mindset working?

One of the greatest threats to your leadership today is holding on to a “this is the way we’ve always done it” approach of years gone by. Evolving as a leader is not about disrespecting the past but has everything to do with letting it go for the sake of your future.

While values are timeless your methods must be current and relevant to today’s world. Are you still open to new ideas? Do you still have the attitude of a student who is humble enough to learn? Don’t forfeit the destiny that could be yours because of limited thinking. Stay current, be relevant, and keep growing.

When Pavarotti chose his one chair it changed the course of his life. It was that singular decision that put his destiny in motion. In like fashion you must choose your one chair and make sure that you have the right levels of passion, attitude, and mindset to take you to the top.

 

© 2016 Doug Dickerson

Please follow and like us:
error
fb-share-icon
Tweet
fb-share-icon

From Frustrated to Fulfilled: Five Keys to Living Your Dreams

bucket_list

I don’t believe God gives me a dream to frustrate me. He gives me a dream to be fulfilled. – John Maxwell

It started like so many evenings. Mom and Dad at home and Jimmy playing after dinner. Mom and Dad were absorbed with jobs and did not notice the time. It was a full moon and some of the light seeped through the windows. Then Mom glanced at the clock. “Jimmy, it’s time to go to bed. Go up now and I’ll come and settle you later.”

Unlike usual, Jimmy went straight upstairs to his room. An hour or so later his mother came up to check if all was well, and to her astonishment found that her son was staring quietly out of his window at the moonlit scenery. “What are you doing, Jimmy?” “I’m looking at the moon, Mommy.” “Well, it’s time to go to bed now.” As one reluctant boy settled down, he said, “Mommy, you know one day I’m going to walk on the moon.”

Who could have known that the boy in whom the dream was planted that night would survive a near fatal motorbike crash which broke almost every bone in his body, and would bring to fruition this dream 32 years later when James Irwin stepped on the moon’s surface, just one of the 12 representatives of the human race to have done so?

The story of James Irving should give each of us pause to think not just about the size of our dreams but also in finding our greater purpose while here on this earth. Yet how many times have you or someone you know given up on their dream out of frustration?

I am a firm believer that in your journey as a leader you can live a life of fulfillment. The good news is that it has nothing to do with your title, position, income, or station in life. How does one go from living a frustrated life to a life of fulfillment? Here are a few proven ways.

The shift from looking inward to looking outward

So long as your focus as a leader is inward (only about your needs, wants and desires) your life as a leader will be characterized by frustration and unfulfilled dreams. It’s as you get your eyes off yourself and take up the mantle of servant leadership that you will begin to experience a life of fulfillment. When you live your life for others and causes greater than yourself then fulfillment will take on a whole new meaning for you.

The shift from taking to giving

Similar in thought to the first shift, this one takes it a step further. Moving from frustration to fulfillment especially for new leaders can be slow and pain-staking. It’s a shift away from ‘what’s in it for me’ to a life focused on others. When you commit yourself to a life of generosity and helping others see their dreams fulfilled your life takes on a whole new meaning. Instead of an attitude of ‘what can you do for me’ make the shift to ‘how can I help you” and see the difference it makes. 

The shift from mediocrity to excellence

The sooner you make this shift as a leader the better. We all know people in our organizations who are content to only do what it takes to get by. And then they wonder why they are so frustrated (and frustrating). As a leader with big dreams and a desire to live a fulfilled life it will only begin to take shape when you make the move from mediocrity to excellence. It will require more from you and it will stretch you at times to do what you previously thought you couldn’t. But you can’t go from dreaming of walking on the moon one day as boy to actually walking on the moon as a man unless you are willing to pay the price. A big dream without the work to get there is only a wish.

The shift from success to significance

Your life of fulfillment is realized when you make the transition from being success minded to significance minded. The blessing of success is being able to live a life of significance. The truth is, you can’t give what you don’t have. Be it in the form of monetary contributions or the donation of your time to mentor a young leader, etc., your fulfillment is realized in tangible ways when you can give back.

The shift from ‘one day’ to today

The dreams, goals, and the desires of your heart can either frustrate you or motivate you. Are you ready to live a life of fulfilment? Begin today. Begin today by focusing on others. Begin today by changing your attitude. Begin today by adding value to those around you. Your ‘one day’ begins now. What are you going to do today?

 

© 2016 Doug Dickerson

 

Recommended Reading:

  1. The Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren
  2. Halftime by Bob Buford
  3. Intentional Living by John Maxwell
  4. Simplify by Bill Hybles
Please follow and like us:
error
fb-share-icon
Tweet
fb-share-icon

Finding the Courage to Lead

courage

Courage means to keep working in a relationship, to continue seeking solutions to difficult problems, and to stay focused in stressful periods. – Denis Waitley

One summer morning, as the story goes, Ray Blankenship was preparing his breakfast on what he thought would be a normal morning. Except there was nothing routine or normal about the events about to unfold. On this morning, he gazed out the window, and saw a small girl being swept along in the rain-flooded drainage ditch beside his Andover, Ohio, home.

Blankenship knew that farther downstream, the ditch disappeared with a roar underneath a road and then emptied into the main culvert. Ray dashed out the door and raced along the ditch, trying to get ahead of the foundering child. Then he hurled himself into the deep, churning water. Blankenship surfaced and was able to grab the child’s arm. They tumbled end over end. Within about three feet of the yawning culvert, Ray’s free hand felt something–possibly a rock– protruding from one bank. He clung desperately, but the tremendous force of the water tried to tear him and the child away. “If I can just hang on until help comes,” he thought. He did better than that. By the time fire-department rescuers arrived, Blankenship had pulled the girl to safety. Both were treated for shock.

On April 12, 1989, Ray Blankenship was awarded the Coast Guard’s Silver Lifesaving Medal. The award is fitting, for this selfless person was at even greater risk to himself than most people knew. Ray Blankenship can’t swim.

The courage of Ray Blankenship is certainly admirable. What he did speaks volumes about the human spirit and rising to the challenges in spite of the circumstances. As a leader you may not be forced to face life-threatening situations such as Ray, but it can be challenging nonetheless.

As if you need to be reminded, I will say if for the record; not everything about leadership is glamourous. Courage is the virtue to embrace when times are tough and you need strength to lead effectively. Hang around in leadership long enough and you will soon realize that were it not for uncommon courage in difficult times, you would not be where you are today. Finding the courage to lead is imperative to your leadership. Here are five reasons why.

You need courage to voice your convictions

People tend to gravitate to leaders who project confidence. You will be hard pressed to find a leader weak on convictions and short on courage who is making a difference. Courage empowers you to step up, speak up, and lead with clarity.

You need courage to face your fears

As leaders we all face fears and times of uncertainty. It comes with the territory. But courage empowers you to see through the fear and see the rewards that await on the other side of it. Despite the fact that Ray Blankenship could not swim, he did not allow the fear of the water to stop him from saving the girls life. When you set your fears aside and lead with courage the sky is the limit as to what you can achieve.

You need courage to dream bigger dreams

Speaking of what you can achieve—what are the dreams and aspirations that motivate you? Perhaps it is to write a book, travel the world, become a noted speaker, or be an entrepreneur, etc. Too often all people see are the challenges and obstacles that stand in the way. You need courage to embrace those dreams and goals. They are not impossible, but are only possible when you summon the courage you need to take the first steps.

You need courage to ask for help

A casual study of any successful leader will turn up this common conclusion- they did not do it alone. A common mistake many novice leaders make is the belief that they can. But if you want to be successful as a leader you will need courage to recognize your own strengths and weaknesses and how to surround yourself with people who can help you in those areas.

You need courage to stand alone

John Maxwell was right when he said, “It’s lonely at the top so you’d better know why you are there.” There will be times as a leader you will have to stand alone. Not because it is your preference but because not everyone will, or can, take the journey with you. It may be because they have not bought into the vision or do not share your convictions. You will need courage to do the right thing even if it means standing alone.

Nelson Mandela said, “I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear.” Dare to face your fears. Dare to face the headwinds of adversity. Because when you are empowered with courage, you will rise to a new level of leadership that others only dream about.

 

©2016 Doug Dickerson

Please follow and like us:
error
fb-share-icon
Tweet
fb-share-icon

Recognition: The Fuel of Employee Engagement

recognition

Don’t worry when you are not recognized, but rather strive to be worthy of recognition. – Abraham Lincoln

A story is told of the great Italian Renaissance artist Michelangelo who happened to overhear a group of people admiring his Pieta, a statue of Christ on His mother’s knees after His death on the cross. One man attributed the work to another sculptor, much to the chagrin of Michelangelo, who took particular pride in the Pieta. Returning to the sculpture after dark that evening, Michelangelo carved his name on it so that no similar mistake would occur in the future. Talk about someone with recognition issues!

It is not a stretch to state that most people in your place of work appreciate recognition for the contributions they make. A Harvard Business Review article (http://bit.ly/1TNdSJM) cites a Harris poll that is eye-opening to say the least.  “In the survey,” it reads, “employees called out the kind of management offenses that point to a striking lack of emotional intelligence among business leaders, including micromanaging, bullying, narcissism, indecisiveness, and more.” The top offense? Topping the complaints (by employees) at sixty three percent was not recognizing employee achievements.

The most important thing a leader,manager, boss, supervisor, etc. must learn is that people are your most appreciable asset. The second most important thing to remember is that relationships matter. The hard lesson to learn is that people can be difficult and building relationships can be complicated.

So what is a leader to do when it comes to recognition and building relationships? The questions can outnumber the answers but here are a few suggestions for starters.

Make it a priority

As a leader the recognition of your people- your most appreciable asset, must be a top priority. Your responsibility is to make sure that the hard work and dedication of your people is given the appreciation that it is due. When your people know you have their backs and recognize their efforts you are building good will among them and they will keep performing at high levels.

Make it personal; make it public

Not all recognition should necessarily be public; but that never hurts. When a colleague is publicly praised for achieving a goal it is proper to praise in public. It builds confidence and reinforces morale. But a good leader also knows that a personal hand-written note of appreciation is priceless. So practice both- and be sincere.

Be spontaneous

Your people often face obstacles and challenges that you are far-removed from. The daily grind can wear down even the best among you. Nothing will lift the spirts and culture of your organization more than a kind gesture of appreciation to your people for no other reason than to say, “I am with you, you are not forgotten, I am proud of you”.

Be realistic

The hard reality every leader has to learn is that some of your people – those “most appreciable assets” will be very challenging when it comes to building relationships. As you know, some require more “strokes” and attention than others and at times there will be no “pleasing” of these people. On the other side of the coin you will have individuals who are just happy to show up, work hard, go above and beyond the call of duty and would be embarrassed if singled out for recognition. Challenging, right? John Maxwell was right when he said, “It’s lonely at the top so you better know why you are there.” Welcome to leadership.

Be inclusive

One of the challenges you will face as a leader is the accusation of showing favoritism. I am a believer that those who demonstrate a strong work ethic, a positive attitude, and a genuine team player approach are actually deserving of more recognition that those who don’t. But as much as it depends on you as the leader, be inclusive as possible when it comes to recognition. Everyone fights battles and carry within them struggles you nothing of and a little encouragement and recognition can make the difference between where they are now and the spark needed to go to the next level. Don’t leave anyone out.

Be generous

Recognition and reinforcing a positive message within your organization is a game changer. The culture you desire is created by the tone you set as a leader. There are plenty of critics, skeptics, gossips, and otherwise contentious attitudes to deal with at times. The path of effective and meaningful employee engagement and strong relationships begins with recognition that comes from the heart. It begins with you.

 

© 2016 Doug Dickerson

Please follow and like us:
error
fb-share-icon
Tweet
fb-share-icon

Excess Baggage: How to Lighten Your Load as a Leader

baggage

Positive thinking will let you do everything better than negative thinking will. – Zig Ziglar

Writing in The Living Faith, Lloyd C. Douglas tells the story of Thomas Hearne, who, “in his journey to the mouth of the Coppermine River, wrote that a few days after they had started on their expedition, a party of Indians stole most of their supplies. His comment on the apparent misfortune was: ‘The weight of our baggage being so much lightened, our next day’s journey was more swift and pleasant.’

Hearne was in route to something very interesting and important; and the loss of a few sides of bacon and a couple of bags of flour meant nothing more than an easing of the load. Had Hearne been holed in somewhere, in a cabin, resolved to spend his last days eking out an existence, and living on capital previously collected, the loss of some of his stores by plunder would probably have worried him almost to death.”

As leaders we often carry a lot of baggage that weighs us down. Perhaps it is the baggage of stress, personnel issues, financial challenges, etc. It’s time to identify this baggage and make changes that will make you a more effective leader.

How different would your life be as a leader if the excess baggage you carried was lightened? Think of how much more productive your day could be without having to shoulder the weight of that baggage. Are you ready to experience it? Here’s how.

If it’s not your baggage- don’t claim it

Unfortunately, many leaders fall into the trap of trying to be all things to all people. While your heart might be in the right place it will only bog you down as a leader. It’s neither your place nor responsibility to be all things go all people or to involve yourself in matters that can easily be handled by others. While it might make you feel good or look good in the eyes of your people, it will burn you out as a leader.

As it pertains to this excess baggage it would do you well to live out the spirit of the Polish Proverb that says, “Not my circus, not my monkeys.”

 

Travel light for greater results

What Thomas Hearne learned from his misfortune was that the journey was more swift and pleasant with a lighter load. How much more effective could you be as a leader if your load was lightened? It’s when you cut loose from the excess baggage that weighs you down that you make the most progress.

What excess baggage is holding you back and slowing you down? For best results remember – travel light.

Get a fresh perspective

When Hearne’s load was lightened he had a different perspective. Where before it might have seemed burdensome and hard, now it was more manageable. When carrying excess baggage it’s easy to get stressed or have a bad attitude.  It was when he lost what he thought was important that he began to see things in a different light.

When you lighten your load as a leader you will get a fresh perspective of what is important, who is important, and why you should have acted sooner. Nothing will invigorate you more as a leader than a fresh perspective and a lighter load.

Get real about your priorities

Don’t be your own worst enemy. You don’t have to claim baggage (especially that from other people) that is not yours, you don’t have to be the “answer man” for everyone’s problems, and at the end of the day, you are expendable. Don’t allow your pride to tell you otherwise. That being said; get real about your priorities. Set boundaries and stick with it.

Here is an exercise for your consideration: Make a list of some of the “excess baggage” that you are dealing with at work/home and figure out what you need to take ownership of- that which is truly within the realm of your responsibility. Then make a list of what you need to cut loose. Set a target date by which you intend to free yourself from each item. Keep working the list until you are moving more swiftly and the journey is more pleasant.

Your work as a leader will be more productive and pleasant when you are focused on what belongs to you. Your stress levels will diminish when you are not worrying about baggage that does not belong to you. Don’t be afraid to lighten your load. Your leadership depends on it.

 

© 2016 Doug Dickerson

 

 

 

 

 

Please follow and like us:
error
fb-share-icon
Tweet
fb-share-icon