Management Tips – Page 3 – Doug Dickerson on Leadership

Three Fears That Shape Your Leadership

Posted July 13, 2014
by admin

One of the greatest discoveries a man makes, one of the great surprises, is to find he can do what he was afraid he couldn’t do. – Henry Ford

The story is told of two explorers who were on a jungle safari when suddenly a ferocious lion jumped in front of them. “Keep calm” the first man whispered. “Remember what we read in that book on wild animals? If you stand perfectly still and look the lion in the eye, he will turn and run.” “Sure,” replied his companion. “You’ve read the book, and I’ve read the book. But has the lion read the book?”

What’s your phobia? For some it’s a fear of heights, or flying. For others it may be riding in an elevator, speaking in public, or Friday the 13^th. For me, it’s spiders. I can handle most anything you throw my way, but for some reason spiders creep me out.

You will face many challenges as a leader. One the best discoveries to make on your leadership journey is that some of the things you were afraid of were, in fact, nothing to be afraid of at all. It’s as you grow and gain confidence in your talents and abilities that you can look back on some of your unfounded fears and smile. So what fears can actually make you a better leader? Here are three for your consideration.

The fear of thinking too big – This fear is rooted in the “what if?” mentality.

Donald Trump said, “I like thinking big. If you’re going to be thinking anything, you may as well think big.” That’s the rub with some leaders. They had rather play it safe with small thinking. After all, small thinking equals small risks. But big thinking requires big risks and big sacrifices. And did I mention the issue of pride? After all, as the logic goes, how would it look if I failed?

Let me ask you the question that’s been around for a while. What would you attempt if you knew that you could not fail? Leaders who think big had rather fail at attempting something big than succeed at something small. You overcome this fear of thinking too big with hard work and dedication. Don’t let the fear of thinking too big hold you back. Embrace your big ideas, goals, and dreams and see where they take you.

The fear of overestimating your potential – This fear is rooted in a “who me? mentality.

This is a fear that causes you to think too little of your gifts, talents, and leadership abilities. If you ever buy-in to the notion that you are not meant to be where you are, doing what you are doing, and possessing the skills to be there, you will never reach your full potential.

Winston Churchill said, “Continuous effort, not strength or intelligence- is the key to unlocking our potential.” Your potential is always fluid as you continue to grow. Your level of potential today is not the same as it was five years ago simply based on your growth. The bar will be higher five years out as your growth pattern continues. The key here is to have faith in your abilities and to never entertain negative thoughts or attitudes that would hold you back. Your potential will be unlimited when you take the limits off your potential.

The fear of empowering others – This fear is rooted in the “why them?” mentality.

Every smart leader understands the impact and importance of empowered teams. Empowered teams are more productive, create positive energy, and build morale in ways you can’t do when individuals are isolated from one another. But a fear of empowering others can undercut that culture and progress.

The fear of empowering others likely has less to do with your team than it does with your own insecurities or fear of not being in control. Whatever the reason; it’s a hindrance to your progress and success. But when you shed that fear and believe in your people, you can unleash your team to do what they were meant to do. Empowering others begins as you overpower your fears.

Every leader faces fear. That’s common. How you respond to your fear will determine the shape of your leadership. Don’t be afraid to think big, be confident in yourself and your abilities, and empower others. When you do fear can’t win.

I welcome your feedback:

1. What fears have held you back on your journey as a leader?

2. How can you work to overcome them?

3. How can you help others overcome their fears?

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Leadership Minute: Back to the Basics

Posted July 11, 2014
by admin

Surround yourself with the best people you can find, delegate authority, and don’t interfere as long as the policy you’ve decided upon is carried out. – Ronald Reagan

In leadership this is about as straightforward as it can get. It’s simple, clear, and yet uniquely profound. Leaders who fail at this do so because they have dropped the ball on one of these levels. It’s been said that leadership is hard. But it doesn’t have to be complicated. Success as a leader contains a mixture of these three components. When for whatever reason one of these elements is lacking you must move quickly to identify it, solve it, and move on. It’s when we neglect the basics of leadership that things go awry. Do yourself and those around you a big favor – get back to the basics. Don’t complicate the simple. Return to the practices that got you where you are today. Be great at the basics.

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Leadership Minute: Filling In The Gaps

Posted July 7, 2014
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What are the gaps in my knowledge and experience? – Charles Handy

Are you experiencing intentional growth as a leader? We all want to grow, stretch, and learn all that we can. But is that enough? In order to be most effective as a leader it’s important to be growing in the right areas. Strong points are strong points and they will always serve you well. But if you really want to grow and increase your effectiveness and influence then you need to identify your gaps and learning curves. What are the areas you need to strengthen? What actions can you take today to increase your knowledge? Who can help you? It’s when you fill in the gaps that you begin to grow. Don’t just identify the areas in which you need help; take the needed actions that will give you the necessary knowledge and experience. Your growth as a leader depends on it.

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The Power of Your Perceptions

Posted July 3, 2014
by admin
2 Comments on The Power of Your Perceptions

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Leadership Minute: An Eye For Potential

Posted July 1, 2014
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Do you see more potential in people than they do in themselves? – Adam Grant

This is one of the hallmarks of a good leader. Seeing more potential in others than they do in themselves can turn into a life-changing moment for the other person when you act on it. When you can help another person discover a talent or skill and help awaken that gift it can be a most rewarding experience. Having an eye for such potential requires looking beyond the surface. Now you are focusing on the other person’s passions, skills, talents, and giving voice to your recognition of it. Chances are the other person is aware of it also but perhaps hasn’t been ready to step out and act on it. Maybe fear has held them back. You can’t motivate them beyond what they are willing to do themselves, but you can encourage, challenge, and inspire them to put their gift into action. You could very well be the encourager someone needs today.

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Leadership Minute: Are You Having Fun?

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

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

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Leadership Minute: The Value of Respect

Posted June 18, 2014
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I firmly believe that respect is a lot more important, and a lot greater, than popularity. – Julius Erving

In keeping with establishing leadership priorities, be careful not to fall into the trap of prizing popularity over respect. Many had rather enjoy short term popularity than pay the price for respect that is earned over a greater span of time. But popularity, like beauty, can be fleeting. You are never more than one unpopular decision away from the tables being turned and learning that being popular is not all it’s cracked up to be. Choose to be popular more than respected and you will be respected little. Choose to be respected more than being popular and in due time you will enjoy both. It’s all a matter of priority. The greatest compliment you can earn as a leader is the respect of your people. The bonus? People tend to like whom they respect.

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Leadership Minute: Do You Trust Your Instincts?

Instinct is the gift of experience. The first question you have to ask yourself is, ‘On what basis am I making a judgment?’… If you have no experience, then your instincts aren’t any good. – Malcolm Gladwell

For the leader there are few things as important as good instincts. Your instincts are those gut feelings or intuitions that can save you a lot of grief and heartache. Instincts can be a tremendous asset that helps you make great decisions. But instincts are not theoretical. They are born of experience. Experience is a great teacher. It’s through successful experiences that we appreciate the good times. It’s through our failures that we grow and where most of our learning takes place. There are no short cuts for experience and therefore no other tangible way to hone the skill. Experience is your teacher, present challenges are your tests, and sound judgment is your reward. Do you trust your instincts?

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Leadership Minute: The Necessity of Discontentment

Restlessness and discontent are the first necessities for progress. – Thomas Edison

Progress comes about in many different ways. This would include and not be limited to restlessness and discontentment. There comes a time when the way things are should not be the way things remain. Making progress and moving forward will require discontented leaders to take action. In what areas of your life or business would you like to see progress? Are you discontent or restless? If so this might be a good sign that you are about to see some real areas of progress in your future. You will need to work on how to properly use that energy in a way that produces the progress you desire. Identify the areas where you are experiencing the most restlessness and why. From there you can put your plans into place and work toward your goals.

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Leadership Minute: Try Something New

Posted June 10, 2014
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Move out of your comfort zone. You can only grow if you are willing to feel awkward and uncomfortable when you try something new. – Brian Tracy

When was the last time you stepped out of your comfort zone to try something new? Was it awkward? That’s a normal feeling but one that you should get more acquainted with. When leaders learn to step out of predictable environments and dare to try new things such as reading books with differing views than your own or make new friends, it can open up whole new worlds to you. Your growth as a leader comes when you stop settling what is and dare to experience new possibilities. Be willing to be stretched in all areas of your life. Why settle for the ordinary when you can live the extraordinary? Go ahead, try something new. Step out. Take the risk. Your growth as a leader will only be as exciting as you make it.

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