Leadership Growth and Development – Page 3 – Doug Dickerson on Leadership

Winning With People

Posted November 27, 2017
by dougdickerson

A boss has the title. A leader has the people. – Simon Sinek

Writing in The Book of Business Anecdotes, Peter Hay recounts the following story:

In the 1950s, marketing whiz Stanley Arnold was working at Young & Rubicam, where he was asked to come up with a marketing campaign for Remington Rand. The company was among the most conservative in America. Its chairman at the time was retired, General Douglas MacArthur. Intimidated at first by a company that was so much a part of America, Arnold also found in that phrase the first inspiration for a campaign. After thinking about it, he went to the New York offices of Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner, and Beane, and placed the ultimate odd-lot order:

“I want to purchase,” he told the broker, “one share of every single stock listed on the New York Stock Exchange.” After a vice president tried to talk him out of it, the order was finally placed. It came to more than $42,000 for one share in each of the 1098 companies listed on the Big Board at the time. Arnold now took his diversified portfolio into a meeting of Remington Rand’s board of directors, where he argued passionately for a sweepstakes campaign with the top prize called A Share in America. The conservative old gentlemen shifted around in their seats and discussed the idea for a while. “But Mr. Arnold,” said one, “we are not in the securities business.” Said another, “We are in the shaver business.”

“I agree that you are not in the securities business,” said Arnold, “but I think you also ought to realize that you are not in the shaver business either. You are in the people business.” The company bought the idea.

People business. It’s one of the most complex challenges you will face in leadership. And it’s one you’ve got to conquer if you are going to succeed. Unfortunately, you don’t always get to choose those people. In fact, you might at times feel like the person who said, “Sometimes I wish I was an octopus so I can slap eight people at once”.

Since slapping people is out of the equation as a leader, we must reconcile the fact that as leaders we are in the people business. This is our greatest challenge and it’s our greatest reward. Here are a few reminders on how as a leader you can win with people.

You win by winning their hearts

Too often this is where many a leader drops the ball. This is a leadership principle I learned from John Maxwell almost twenty years ago. Maxwell said, “Always touch a person’s heart before you ask him for a hand.”

A good leader will invest relationally with his or her people before asking for their hand. It’s when you’ve made this connection first you open the door to other possibilities and opportunities. But first, win their heart.

You win by investing in your people

When your people know that you are invested in them they will go to great lengths to perform. This investment is not just monetary although it’s included. Winning with your people happens as you empower and equip them to not only meet their expectations but to exceed them.

“Whatever we expect with confidence,” said Brian Tracy, “becomes our self-fulfilling prophecy”. You win with your people when you raise their level of confidence and remind them of their potential and abilities on a regular basis.

You win with people by conceding the spotlight

I’ve said it many times and it’s worth repeating here now. Expressions of servant leadership are found when you concede being in the spotlight by putting someone else in it. And this is how you win with people.

Billy Hornsby said, “It’s okay to let those you lead outshine you, for if they shine brightly enough, they reflect positively on you”. You can only win with people as a leader on this level if you’re secure enough to drop your ego and quit worrying about who gets the credit for what. You win with people when you celebrate your people and their successes.

You win with people when you listen to your people

You win with your people when you learn how to listen. Some of the best ideas in any organization will not flow out of the corner offices, but into them. As a leader you must do as Howard Behar suggests in his book. It’s Not About The Coffee, and “put the time into listening, even to what’s not said…You’ll know what your customers want, you’ll know why the passion is missing from your organization, and you’ll learn solutions to problems that have been sitting there waiting to be picked.”

Winning with people happens when you are more concerned with what they have to say than you are in what you have to say. Your leadership hinges at times on your ability to be quiet and listen.

You win with people when you commit to developing leaders

Your success as a leader doesn’t come when you gain more followers but when you develop more leaders. Simply put, multiplication is the math of leadership. You win with your people by multiplying the number of leaders in your organization.

“A leader is best when people barely know he exists,” said Lao Tzu, “when his work is done, his aim fulfilled, they will say: we did it ourselves”. And this is the ultimate goal of your leadership and the definitive mark of winning with your people. It’s as you raise them up as leaders and empower them that you win.

Your leadership rises and falls on your ability to win with people. Make it a priority and you will go far.

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Five Rules Of The Blame Game

Posted November 5, 2017
by dougdickerson

A good leader takes a little more than his share of the blame, a little less than his share of the credit. – Arnold H. Glasow

John Killinger tells a story about the manager of a minor leader baseball team who was so disgusted with his center fielder’s performance that he ordered him to the dugout and assumed the position himself.

The first ball that came into center field took a bad hop and hit the manager in the mouth. The next one was a high fly ball, which he lost in the glare of the sun and it bounced off his forehead. The third was a hard line drive that he charged with outstretched arms; unfortunately, it flew between his hands and smacked his eye. Furious, he ran back to the dugout, grabbed the center fielder by the uniform, and shouted, “You idiot! You’ve got center field so messed up that even I can’t do a thing with it!”

The coach in the story reminds us of the type of culture we live in. The blame game is easy to play and in the end, it serves no meaningful purpose. But as a leader, if you want to grow, move your organization forward, and create a culture of excellence it’s going to require a different mindset in order to pull it off. Here are my five rules of the blame game that can help you navigate your way forward.

Begin with yourself

In a “blame others first” culture this is where you are set apart as a leader. The tendency is to find someone to be the “fall guy” when things go south, but the leader steps up and takes responsibility. When you shoulder the responsibility as the leader you demonstrate that you are with and for your team not just in the good times but also when the chips are down. A good leader takes personal responsibility for his organization.

Look for solutions

Once responsibility has been taken it’s the time to move beyond whom to blame and work on solutions. This can be as simple as diagnosing a poor communication problem or perhaps something more complex. The point being; don’t dwell too long on who messed up but rather channel your energies on what to do next.

Attack bad attitudes

In order to coalesce team members around a new culture of excellence and move past a blame game mentality, you must address bad attitudes. “Your attitude, not your aptitude, will determine your altitude,” stated Zig Ziglar. Bad attitudes will ground your organization and will be the single greatest challenge to your leadership. The work of your team will be a reflection of their attitudes. Attack bad attitudes, keep yours positive and change your culture.

Manage mistakes wisely

The way you manage mistakes can pay great dividends but it all depends on how you handle it. Rather than demoralizing the offender with a wrong response why not use it the opportunity to do something constructive? As a leader, how you handle the mistakes of others speaks volumes about what’s most important to you. Those who blame belittle. Be a leader who encourages and turns the mistakes into something positive.

Examine motives

Understanding the blame game begins with identifying the motives for blaming others. Possibilities might include professional jealousy, subtle expressions of bullying, the deflection off of one’s own insecurities, etc. By examining the motives of those caught in playing the blame game card you can learn a lot about the inner workings of your organizational dynamics and patterns. As a leader, you need to have a handle on what is taking place in order to correct it.

Playing the blame game is too easy. Leading up is hard. Your leadership will rise when you rise up and do the right thing. If you want a better way forward then stop with the blame game.

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How To Bring Doers and Dreamers Together

Posted October 22, 2017
by dougdickerson

The world needs dreamers and the world needs doers. But above all, the world needs dreamers who do. – Sarah Ban Breathnach

In his book, Rules of Thumb, Alan M. Webber writes about the differences between talkers and doers. It is a special relationship in organizational structures between those who talk up great ideas and those who can make it happen. Webber writes:

In your company, who gets listened to when it comes to assessing an idea or evaluating a project? If your company is like most, good talkers get taken more seriously than real doers. The people in the field who are closest to the problem and closest to the customer may be useful when it comes to doing what our experts have advised.

Herein lies the primary challenge to the discerning leader. How do you take the best and brightest ideas from the talkers and mesh them together with the people who can carry out the vision – the doers? Sound like a familiar challenge?

Let’s face the facts: companies need visionaries as well as people to execute the vision. Every organization depends upon both to be successful. Unfortunately, the marriage between the two can be rocky because each uses a different side of the brain in the process.

In keeping with the marriage metaphor, Dave Meurer said, “ A great marriage is not when the ‘perfect couple’ comes together. It is when an imperfect couple learns to enjoy their differences”.

When a leader understands the dependency upon both the dreamers and the doers, it creates an interdependence between the two which opens up the possibility of great things happening. It’s not easy. In fact, it can be messy. But if you want great results for your organization, you must find a path forward. Here are a few things to consider on that discovery.

Dreamers must trust the doers with the details

It is important to understand the influence of the dreamers. T. E. Lawrence said, “All men dream: but not equally…but the dreamers of the day are dangerous men, for they may act their dream with open eyes, to make it possible”.

Think of where your organization would be today were it not for the dreamer – those who see the big picture long before everyone else and point the way. Dreamers are invaluable in terms of their creative genius to move the company in the right direction. Yet, when it comes to the execution of those plans, dreamers must give way to the doers.

By deferring to the doers, dreamers are in essence passing the baton as in a race to the ones who can carry the team to victory. And when the dreamers understand that the doers can take the vision to completion, it no longer becomes a territorial issue but one of what is best for the team.

Trust must flow between the dreamers and the doers in order for the ideas to work. It’s about learning to share the dream and make it a reality.

Doers must trust the dreamers with the vision

In many respects, doers and dreamers are predisposed to be skeptical of one another. Both work and live on different sides of the brain, and therefore, do not always understand how the other thinks.

But when the doer learns that the dreamer is just as invested in the organization and its success as the doer is, then progress can be made.

Trust between the two is like assembling a jigsaw puzzle for your organization. The dreamer knows what the picture is supposed to look like once assembled. Doers have to trust that the dreamers have the right picture or vision for where the organization is going before the doers start putting the pieces together.

Doers and dreamers must remember that they are on the same team

Trust is nurtured when leadership builds bridges between doers and dreamers. This can be a difficult proposition when you factor in turf wars and egos – especially when the doers and dreamers have been kept apart. Suspicions can run deep.

But Webber adds another point worth mentioning. He says:

But don’t forget: you’ve got plenty of streetsmart frontline people in your own organization, men and women who are close to the customer and have deep working knowledge about what works and doesn’t work in your company. How do you get access to their kind of knowing, the kind that comes from actual doing?

As a leader, this is what you have to figure out. But it begins when you bring your doers and dreamers together. You have build bridges between your doers and dreamers and get them talking, sharing their ideas and perspectives, and help them build relationships. Because when you do, your organization will be unstoppable.

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The Power of Unseen Leadership

Posted October 15, 2017
by dougdickerson

Once you have a burning yes inside you about what’s truly important, it’s very easy to say no to the unimportant. – Stephen R. Covey

I’ve always had a fascination with learning the back stories of successful people.Be they entrepreneurs, authors, musicians, sports icons, etc. How they attained their level of success has always been a source of curiosity for me.

I read once where Plato wrote the first sentence of his famous Republic nine different ways before he was satisfied. Cicero practiced speaking before friends every day for thirty years to perfect his elocution. Noah Webster labored 36 years writing his dictionary, crossing the Atlantic twice to gather material. Milton rose at 4:00 a.m. every day in order to have enough hours for his Paradise Lost. Gibbon spent 26 years on his Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire. Bryant rewrote one of his poetic masterpieces 99 times before publication, and it became a classic.

Your success as a leader hinges on making discipline a core component of your leadership. It’s a choice that’s really not negotiable. In the book, No Limits, John Maxwell writes:

Successful people are highly disciplined in doing their important work. They are self-disciplined. They guide and encourage themselves to do the work they ought to do, not just the things they want to do. And that’s why the rewards in this world are usually reserved for those who are willing to do what the majority of people are unwilling to do.

Your capacity to achieve is tied to your ability to lead a disciplined life. As a leader, it’s not always easy. Life happens. So here are a few things that tend to get in the way of living and leading a disciplined life.

The tyranny of the urgent

Some years ago I came across this saying and it stuck with me. How many times in your leadership have you dealt with the “tyranny of the urgent”? It’s important for you as a leader to distinguish between what is an “urgent” matter that requires your time right in that moment and what can wait.

So long as you are reacting to every “urgent” matter that comes across your path, you will never carve out for yourself a disciplined life as a leader. You will simply another member of the bucket brigade putting out fires. Maxwell states in that segment that you are the boss of you- start acting lt. Discipline is an inside job.

The acceptance of excuses

How many times have you or someone you know embraced excuses that diminished their leadership potential? It’s when you entertain negative thoughts and attitudes that it thwarts your growth and potential as a leader.

Pursuing a disciplined life as a leader will be next to impossible so long as you entertain negative thoughts and embrace excuses. Your potential will never be realized. Living a disciplined life as a leader requires a disciplined mindset, attitude, and belief in your God-given abilities.

“I hated every minute of training,” said Muhammad Ali, “But I said, ‘Don’t quit’. Suffer now and live the rest of your life as a champion”. His words reflect the value of a man who committed himself to a disciplined life – a life of a champion.

The applause of the crowd

Call it human nature- call it what you will, but a leadership trap many fall for is the applause of the crowd. The reason it’s a trap is that we tend to believe our own headlines and fail to keep our focus on what’s important. We thrive on the applause and think we can simply phone it in going forward.

Living and maintaining a disciplined life as a leader requires the countless unseen hours of work, sacrifice, learning, failures, and frustrations that go into being a ‘successful leader”.

But yesterday’s victories do not automatically translate into tomorrow’s wins. Discipline creates momentum. With it, you can be unstoppable. Without it, you’re stuck.

The power of unseen leadership has many ingredients, but namely among them is a disciplined life. Don’t be distracted by the tyranny of the urgent, the acceptance of excuses, or the applause of the crowd. It’s your discipline as a leader that will lead you to success.

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Connecting Your Dream To Your Reality

Posted August 17, 2017
by dougdickerson

“If your dream doesn’t scare you it’s too small” – Mark Batterson

Vincent Van Gogh said, “I dream of painting and then I paint my dream”. Certainly, Van Gogh is one who made the connection between dreams and reality. We’ve been inspired by his dreams ever since.

But as inspiring as that may have been for Van Gogh, for many others, there is a disconnect between dreams and reality. And reality hits where dreams end. And the unfulfilled dreams of our youth turn into the regrets of our old age.

In leadership, as in other parts of our lives, we hear much about dreams and goals. For some, it is to land the dream job. For another, it may be to write a book, raise a family, start a business, or travel the world. What is your dream? What is the one passion or desire that you think of often? What would you do if you knew you wouldn’t fail?

Much has been written about goals and dreams and this will certainly not be an exhaustive list nor necessarily new ideas. But I want to put forth these simple keys to serve as reminders that your dreams do not have to go unfulfilled. It simply takes courage to pursue them. Here are six things you will need to do in order to turn dreams into reality.

Face down your fears

This is perhaps the most obvious obstacle that causes most dreams to go unfulfilled. Fear. What if I fail? What will other people think? In the end, what happens? We talk ourselves out of the one thing that truly inspires us. Until you face down your fears, your dreams will never become a reality. It’s time to own your fears and put an end to it.

Face up to your challenges

Depending on the size of your dream, you are going to have to face up the challenges your dream or goal presents. What resources will you need? You will have to flesh out exactly what your dream or goal looks like in real life. What will be required of you? What sacrifices are you willing to make? There’s always a trade off, are you willing to embrace it?

Define your path forward

Your dream becomes a reality when you know what it is, and when you have a clear path forward. It won’t just happen because you dream it. Now you have to live it. Now you must own it. Now comes the time to put pen to paper and chart a course. Do you have the resources you need? What partnerships do you need to form? Connecting your dream to your reality begins when you spell it out.

Consider the risks

No dream worth pursuing will come without risks. What is your threshold for risks and rewards? This is why thoughtful planning is important to you. And this where most people come up short on their dreams becoming a reality. It’s hard for many to reconcile the notion that they need to overcome their fears and take a risk. After all, the risk is one of the fears. But you will minimize the risk and quash the fears when you do your homework. It’s then your faith kicks in and you are able to make the leap.

Go for broke

Once all your homework has been done, your risks assessed, your plan charted, then you can take that step of faith and go for broke. It may be baby steps at first, but al least you are moving in the direction of your goals and dreams. One of the greatest challenges you will have to overcome is dreaming too small. As the old saying goes, “Shoot for the moon, Even if you miss you’ll land among the stars”.

Never stop dreaming; never give up

The secret to connecting your dream to your reality rests in your persistence and perseverance. Will you fail? Will you have setbacks? Will you have fears and at times even question whether your dream was actually a nightmare? Yes!

“Many of life’s failures,” Thomas Edison said, “are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.” Connecting your dreams to your reality happens when you don’t give up.

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What Millennials Are Teaching Me About Leadership

Posted July 20, 2017
by dougdickerson

“Good habits formed at youth make all the difference”. – Aristotle

He takes to the platform each week in skinny jeans, his shirt is untucked, and he has a shoe collection that would rival that of Imelda Marcos. But this is no ordinary person and it’s not a comedy club on a Friday night. It’s church on Sunday and he is my late 20’s something pastor. Band members are tatted up, some sporting man buns, but all with one thing in common-serving others the best they know how.

That in this stage in my life I would find myself in a church where the majority of the staff are millennials and I am old enough to be their parent, or in some cases their grandparent, is quite surprising even to me. But I am, and I am loving it.

I recently had lunch with my skinny jean-wearing pastor. We talked leadership over pizza and I must admit, I am more encouraged by what I see and hear from Millennials than I have ever been prior.

To be sure, millennials have had their fair share of criticisms leveled against them. Some of it justified, a lot of it not. But as is the case for all of us in leadership, millennials should be given a fair shake as they earn their leadership stripes.

I don’t presume to speak about all Millennials in all situations, but only to what I personally know, see, and experience on a regular basis. Here is what I am learning from those skinny jean wearing, man bun styling millennials. I think there’s something here for all of us-regardless of our age.

Millennials are teaching me about authenticity

These millennials are setting a great example about being authentic and transparent. It’s quite refreshing to be around people who understand their learning curves and talk openly about their mistakes and flaws, all while pursuing a higher level of excellence. Authentic leadership is hard to come by and way too many opt for wearing a mask. These millennials are teaching me that they care more about being real than they do about false perceptions.

Millennials are teaching me about the value of community

What I am learning from these millennials is that they are all about community and relationships. “Life wasn’t meant to be done alone” is the mantra often repeated. They have tapped into the power of community and discovering that life, just as in leadership, is better when you are part of a community of people who have each other’s backs and that through a community of strong relationships is how we grow. These millennials are teaching me that there is an up-and-coming generation that gets it and works hard to make it happen.

Millennials are teaching me about serving others

One of the bad wraps millennials get is that they are just a bunch of navel-gazing, narcissistic people who are the “entitled” generation. Look around and cherry-pick, and in some cases, you will find it. But the millennials I know take community and servant leadership to a new level. They are invested in their community and are making in-roads in the local schools. Community and civic pride is not the exception, but rather the rule. Millennials are teaching me they realize it’s not all about them, but that true leadership is about serving others.

Millennials are teaching me the importance of personal growth and development

As my skinny jean wearing pastor and I talked about leadership, we talked about personal growth and development. I was more than impressed by his vast knowledge and familiarity with leading authors, books, and podcasts. He is a student of leadership and works hard to apply it. So does his team. They are taking leadership seriously and are taking advantage of every opportunity to grow.

On the day of his Inaugural Address, a young 43-year-old President John F. Kennedy declared that “the torch has been passed to a new generation of Americans…” It was a time of great uncertainty and many questioned the ability of such a young president to lead our nation with the challenges it faced. But he did.

Millennial leaders are rising to the challenge. They are taking up the torch and mantle of leadership and from my experiences with them, we have reason to be optimistic. Their leadership will be tested. They will not always get it right, nor will we who are older. Our life in leadership is a journey- a marathon, not a dash. But it’s when we sit across from the table, eat pizza, talk, and share life experiences that we find that we really have more in common than we realized. But I draw the line at skinny jeans.

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Recharging Your Leadership

Posted July 13, 2017
by dougdickerson

“The woods are lovely, dark and deep. But I have miles to go before I sleep.” – Robert Frost

I had a great pleasure recently to spend a week up on the Blue Ridge Parkway in the mountains of North Carolina. As a coastal resident, it was a welcome reprieve. The mountains are my ‘happy place’ if you will.

Be it hiking trails to waterfalls, walking across the infamous swinging bridge at Grandfather Mountain, or hiking my way to the observation summit at Mt. Mitchell- the highest mountain peek east of the Mississippi, it was a great time. I live by the motto of John Muir, “The mountains are calling and I must go”.

At waterfall in the Blue Ridge Mountains. Provided by author.

The summer months tend to be markers. It’s the mid-point of the year, a time to look at where we’ve come and tweak goals and action plans for the remainder of the year. How is it looking for you?

But before we kick the can too far down the road, let’s take a moment to consider the benefits of summer. It’s an important time in the year for leaders and you don’t want to miss an opportunity to consider what I call the 4 R’s.

A time to rest

Many leaders I know struggle with the thought of rest. They are constantly on the go. Unfortunately, many leaders have subscribed to the notion that to rest is to violate their work ethic. Consequently, they never slow down, they are the first in, last out, and out-hustle everyone else. Noble characteristics for sure.

But even the best of leaders need to rest. A person can only burn the candle at both ends for so long and still maintain any degree of fresh thinking and energy. Do yourself, and everyone else a favor, and embrace the idea of rest. You will be a better leader for it.

A time to recharge

This is the value-added consequence of taking the time to rest. Your body, soul, and mind, can only run for so long and still be useful to you. Rest affords you the opportunity to recharge mentally, emotionally, relationally, and spiritually.

Recharging your leadership through the lost art of rest will do you a world of good. When you are recharged you give yourself a fresh perspective on the issues at hand and it will give you the energy needed going forward. Rested and recharged you will position yourself for a great second half of the year.

A time to reflect

During down time and rest is the perfect time to reflect. It’s a time to look back at the first half of the year to see where you’ve come- to put it all in perspective. It’s a time to look ahead, not in the heat of the moment when there is no time to properly absorb what is taking place – but to do so in a state of mind that gives you the context you need.

In your time of rest and mid-year reflecting it’s also important to be present in the moment. “We always project into the future or reflect in the past,” says Marina Abramovic, “but we are so little in the present.” How much do we miss as leaders – family, children, memories we can never have again – simply because we were too busy and missed living in the moment?

A time to reconnect

The benefits of rest can be substantial. Times of rest is important for us in ways already mentioned. But the good it can do for you as a leader will make you a better one.

A rested leader is a more effective leader. Your thinking is more clear, your instincts are sharper, and your temperament is more balanced. Yet, none of these benefits would be possible without making the conscientious decision to rest. Rid yourself of the stigma that to rest is wrong, and embrace this important area of your leadership.

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Getting Comfortable With Failure

Posted June 8, 2017
by dougdickerson

I have not failed. I have found 10,000 ways that won’t work. – Thomas Edison

As a leader, chances are, you’ve had a run-in or two with failure. If not, be patient. I say that not to be pessimistic or to discourage you. I say that to challenge and prepare you for great adventures that lie before you.

Failure. What’s the first thing that comes to mind when you hear that word? Unfortunately, some people make the mistake of applying false labels to people who fail. They see them as failures rather than a success in progress.

In his book, Chase The Lion, author Mark Batterson gives an inspiring description of what it means to fail. He writes:

The cure for the fear of failure isn’t success. The cure for the fear of failure

is failure in small enough doses that we build up an

immunity to it.

God is in the business of helping us overcome our fears, but

He often does it by bringing us face to face with our worst fears.

He graciously brings us back to the place of failure, and then, He

not only helps us pick up the broken pieces but He also puts them

back together again.

That description, especially as it applies to the fear of failure, is an important lesson every leader must learn. As a leader, you will have to face down your failures, and confront them if you want to grow to the next level.

Regardless of where you are in your leadership journey, and wherever that path leads you- be it in business, sales, technology, management, customer service, etc. you must find your cure for failure and build up your immunity to defeat it. Here are a few ways to do it.

Develop a resilient attitude

Developing a resilient attitude is hard work. But most of that battle is won when we change our attitudes.

It reminds me the story of the two shoe salesmen years ago who left for the Caribbean islands from Chicago. Upon arrival, they discovered that no one wore shoes. One salesman phoned back to the home office and notified them that he was returning to Chicago, “no one here wears shoes,” he said. The other man phoned back to the home office with excitement, “Send more shoes, no one here wears them!” Both men saw the same thing. One through the lens of a negative attitude, the other through a positive one.

The difference between your success and failure will often be determined by your attitude. Develop resilience in this area and you will develop an immunity to failure.

Develop the right perspective

While attitude has to do with how you see yourself in your present circumstances, your perspective is how you see yourself through it. It’s all about thinking long.

Look back on your own history for a moment. Think back to a time when you were going through a challenging or difficult time. Chances are your attitude at the time may not reflect your perspective on it now. The difference is time and distance. It’s much easier to look back at a difficult time you’ve come through than it is to see light at the end of the tunnel when going through it.

Never allow your present fears or failures to cloud your perspective. You will come through your difficult times and with the right perspective you can see them for what they were–stepping stones to your success.

Develop resilient courage

The formula for courage looks like this: A (Attitude) + P (Perspective) = C (Courage). Your ability to face down your fears and recover from failure takes courage. What will set you apart from your colleagues and give you the advantage over your competitors is courage.

“We don’t develop courage by being happy everyday,” writes Barbara De Angelis, “ We develop it by surviving difficult times and challenging adversity”. And this is the place on your leadership journey you must arrive at. It’s when you survive difficult times that you grow strong as a leader.

Resilient courage is developed over time. It’s a process. None of us like failure and we all wrestle with our fears. But failure doesn’t have to fatal or forever. It’s simply a marker on our road to success. Don’t give up!

Favorite quotes on failure:

Success is not final, failure is not fatal, it is the courage to continue that counts. – Winston Churchill

Failure will never overtake me if my determination to succeed is strong enough.- Og Mandino

Failure is simply the opportunity to begin again, this time more intelligently. – Henry Ford

I can accept failure, everyone fails at something. But I can’t accept not trying. – Michael Jordan

Failures, repeated failures, are finger posts on the road to achievement. One fails toward success. – C.S. Lewis

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Are You Really a Team Player?

Posted May 18, 2017
by dougdickerson

A team is not a group of people who work together. A team is a group of people who trust each other. – Simon Sinek

For many of us, the idea of being part of a team is something we’ve identified with from an early age. Many of us were introduced to the concept of being on a team from our Little League days, or choosing teams with our neighborhood friends for an afternoon of backyard football, or whom we wanted to play with at recess.

While our current understanding of teams and teamwork may not mirror those early days, it’s not a concept that is lost on us now. We all want to be on the winning team and we all want teammates that will give us that competitive advantage. And we can still play favorites.

As leaders, how we model teamwork is important. Unlike the backyard football game, the stakes are higher and more is riding on the outcome. What kind of a team player are you? Here are a few questions to ponder. After some honest reflection, decide for yourself if you are really a team player or an imposter.

Does my attitude benefit my team or undermine it?

Teams that succeed do so with players who have a positive attitude. There’s just really no other way around it. Is your attitude one that lifts your team or tears it down? Is your attitude a reliable one that others can look to and emulate and from it gain the confidence and courage they need in a moment of doubt or uncertainty? Or on the other hand, do you entertain those with a bad attitude by lending them a sympathetic ear? Remember, what you tolerate you promote, and this is especially true as it relates to attitudes.

Am I looking out for my own interest, or what is best for the team?

This is an age-old problem for many teams. If you are only looking out for your own interests and your own agenda, and not that of the team, can you really say that you are a team player? Babe Ruth was right when he said, “The way a team plays as a whole determines its success. You may have the greatest bunch of individual stars in the world, but if they don’t play together, the club won’t be worth a dime.” If you are promoting your own interests over the team, it’s likely you really aren’t a team player.

Do I celebrate the successes and accomplishments of my teammates?

One of the hallmarks of a successful team is realized when fellow team members can celebrate the achievements and successes of one of its peers. At the end of the day they understand that when he or she wins, the team wins. If you are blinded by petty jealousy or insecurities you are really not a team player.

Am I open to new ideas and change or am I a hindrance to it?

Teams that succeed are growth-minded and are always looking for ways to improve. They realize that they can’t rest on yesterday’s win, and they must be open to new ideas. If you are always resisting change and your mantra is “we’ve never done it this way before,” then chances are you are really not a team player you’re simply standing in the way of those trying to move forward.

Am I intentional and consistent about adding value to my team?

A team player is not one out to protect his or her own agenda or playing politics, and not saying one thing in public while undermining and scheming behind the scenes in private. Are you looking for ways to add value and lift others? Are you willing to put others ahead of yourself for the good of the team? If so, chances are, you are a team player.

Are you really a team player?

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The Power of Selective Discipline

Posted May 12, 2017
by dougdickerson

What’s done can’t be undone. – William Shakespeare

In his book, The One Thing, Gary Keller writes about a disciplined life in one of the chapters. In it, he expounds on the concept of selected discipline. In doing so, he points to Olympic champion Michael Phelps.

From age 14 through the Beijing Olympics, Phelps trained seven days a week, 365 days a year. By doing so he gained a 52-training day advantage over his competitors. He spent 6 hours a day in the water training-mastering the discipline of one habit that ultimately earned him Olympic gold.

The story of Phelps is quite inspiring.That he would channel so much time and energy into his life’s passion for swimming at such a young age is impressive. It also caused me think about how we as leaders develop our own patterns of discipline and personal growth. Here’s a thought that Keller expressed that is worth mentioning:

The payoff from developing the right habit is pretty obvious. It gives you the success you’re searching for. What sometimes gets overlooked, however, is an amazing windfall: It also simplifies your life. Your life gets clearer and less complicated because you know what you have to do well and what you don’t. The fact of the matter is that aiming discipline at the right habit gives you license to be less disciplined in other areas. When you do the right thing, it can liberate you from having to monitor everything.

In my early years of leadership, I was thoroughly indoctrinated with the concept and ideas of living a well- disciplined life. It’s a virtuous goal of every leader, right? But the notion of selective discipline was refreshing music to my ears and to my sometimes less than disciplined ways.

To obtain this noble virtue as a leader, like you perhaps, I wore myself out trying to measure up to what at times was just an improbable reality. It was frustrating. The fallout? Becoming the jack of all trades, the master of none. Keller adds, “You can become successful with less discipline than you think, for one simple reason: success is about doing the right thing, not about doing everything right.” How refreshing!

Selective discipline brings a measure of healthy simplicity to your life. Here are a few suggestions on how to make that happen.

Embrace your ‘one thing’

Selective discipline in your life begins when you identify what your ‘one thing’ is and direct your energies towards it. It’s as simple and complicated as that. But you will burn yourself out and have less energy for what truly matters so long as you don’t know what it is.

Embrace your selective discipline

Discovering your one thing is liberating. Knowing your purpose gives life meaning. But now comes the channeling of that discipline to take you to new levels of growth and potential. Sadly, you can know your one thing and still not live up to your potential if you don’t form the proper growth habits.

Embrace the sacrifice

The formula will look like this: SD(Selective discipline) +S(Sacrifice) = Success. Unless you are willing to sacrifice the good for the great you will always flounder. It’s time to focus, embrace your one thing, and channel your energies to become the person God created you to be.

The sacrifice won’t always be easy. Muhammad Ali put it this way, “I hated every minute of training, but I said, ‘Don’t quit. Suffer now and live the rest of your life as a champion”. And this is the reward of embracing the sacrifice- knowing that your success would not have come about any other way.

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