persoanl development – Doug Dickerson on Leadership

Leadership Minute: Not My Circus

Posted July 18, 2014
by admin

Not my circus, not my monkeys. – Polish Proverb

Ever feel like your office is like a 3-ring circus? If you’ve been around a while you have. It’s important to know what is, and is not, your circus. To be sure, office politics and gossip is universal. There will always be those who tend to thrive on drama – real or otherwise. Just because it exists does not mean you have to join in. It’s not just a matter of staying above the fray with regard to such nonsense, but as the leader, setting the right example. It’s been said that what you tolerate you promote. While your organization may not be drama-free, your success as an organization hinges on the standards you set. Knowing what is of concern to you and knowing what to avoid is smart leadership. Don’t allow petty things in your office to derail the priorities of your office. While the circus may not be of your making, you can be the ring leader and fold the tent.

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Leadership Minute: The Power of Self -Confidence

Posted June 5, 2014
by admin

Giving people self-confidence is by far the most important thing that I can do. Because then they will act. – Jack Welch

One of the most meaningful and lasting things you can do as a leader is to instill confidence in your people. When your people come to the place where they believe that they can do anything they set their minds to then their potential is unlimited. All some people need in order to go from their “I think I can” attitude to their “I know I can” reality is found in the power of your words and how well you communicate them. Self-confidence is given not only by your words but by backing them up with your actions. Turn your people loose with their self-confidence and see where they can go, what they can achieve, and what they can become. The gift of self-confidence is a powerful tool. Use it wisely, and use it generously.

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Leadership Minute: Discover Your Limits

Posted May 22, 2014
by admin

One finds limits by pushing them. – Herbert Simon

Your limits as a leader are going to be tested. It’s as you continually strive to grow personally and professionally that you can look back and see how far you have come. The challenges and obstacles you faced five years ago are not the same ones you have today as you push yourself to new limits. What limits to your growth are you testing today? Let me encourage you to discover new limits and expand your borders by pushing them. Don’t get so comfortable that you settle for where you are today without a vivid curiosity for what tomorrow holds. Dare to discover just how far you can go and what you can accomplish by pushing your limits in new and positive ways. You can create new borders and possibilities by removing any self- imposed limitations. Don’t limit yourself or your future; live it without limits.

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Four Things You Will Never Learn in Your Comfort Zone

Posted November 25, 2012
by dougdickerson

Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you have imagined. – Henry David Thoreau

The year was 1947 and to date no one had broken the sound barrier. Most believed that it could not be done. Some argued that the sound barrier was a literal wall that once hit at 760 mph would destroy a plane. But despite the skeptics and critics there remained a committed group of people devoted to the cause of breaking the barrier.

A young pilot by the name of Chuck Yeager was invited to be the one to break the sound barrier. Colonel Body, his superior, said, “Nobody knows for sure what happens until somebody gets there. Chuck, you’ll be flying into the unknown.” On October 14, 1947, Yeager broke the sound barrier. He later wrote, “I was thunderstruck. After all the anxiety, breaking the sound barrier turned out to be a perfectly paved speedway. After all the anticipation it was really a letdown. The ‘unknown’ was a poke through Jell-O.”

Comfort zones have a tendency to lull us into thinking that out fears are justified and average is acceptable. “Courage is not simply one of the virtues, but the form of every virtue at the testing point,” said C.S. Lewis. Comfort zones are the testing points of leadership. As a leader, here are four things you will never learn if you remain in your comfort zone.

The depth of your talent. You will never fully discover the depth of your talent if you are not willing to grow to a place where more is required. If your talent brought you to the place where you are today then contentment will keep you there. Is that acceptable to you? The better practice of leadership is to discover the depth of your talent by embracing the advice of Brian Tracy who said, “You can only grow if you are willing to feel awkward and uncomfortable with trying something new.”

The reach of your potential. The greatest obstacle to breaking the sound barrier was not engineering but attitude. It was the perceptions of comfortable people. You will never fully reach your potential so long as small thinking makes you comfortable. The better practice of leadership is to be surrounded with people who believe that breaking barriers and overcoming the odds is all in a day’s work.

The reward of your risk. History records the names of risk-takers (Chuck Yeager, Thomas Edison, Steve Jobs, Henry Ford, Bill Gates, etc.) who, in the face of overwhelming odds made a determination that the restrictions of the comfort zone was just not for them. Risk-takers are a peculiar people who had rather fail at something big than succeed at something small. The better practice of leadership is to count the cost of exceptional leadership and dare to change the world.

The power of your dreams. Comfort zones tend to put a lid on dreams. Why dream if you are not willing to take risks and explore the depths of your talent and abilities to achieve it? However, when you unleash your dreams you open yourself to new possibilities reserved for those who have escaped the predictable and the expectations of the ordinary. The better practice of leadership is courage. When others discourage you or talk about invisible walls that do not exist, you can go confidently in the direction of your dreams and live the life you have imagined.

The challenge for you is to get uncomfortable with the comfortable and comfortable with the uncomfortable. Your growth as a leader depends on it.

Doug’s new book, Great Leaders Wanted, is now available. Visit www.dougsmanagementmoment.blogspot.com to order your copy today!

Follow Doug @managemntmoment

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Dodging Bricks

Posted September 15, 2012
by dougdickerson

A successful man is the one who can lay a firm foundation with the bricks others have thrown at him? – David Brinkley

The nation watched in horror when the video tape emerged showing the bullying of 68-year old school bus monitor Karen Klein. According to ABC News more than 32,000 people went online and donated more than $700,000 to her after they saw the inexcusable way in which she was bullied by middle school students in a suburban Rochester, N.Y. suburb.

In the months since that incident Klein has moved forward with the next chapter of her life in a most surprising way. Actually, what she has done is quite admirable. Klein took $100,000 of the money and has started The Karen Klein Anti-Bullying Foundation. (http://bit.ly/PrLYmv)

If I have learned one thing about leadership over the years it is this: adversity brings out the best in leaders. It was Henry Ford who said, “Don’t find fault, find a remedy,” and that is what Klein is doing – finding a remedy. Klein’s actions compel me to look within my own heart and consider the way I would react if I were in her shoes. Could I have been so gracious as to do the same? How about you? What will you do with the bricks others have thrown at you? Here are a few tips to help you along the way.

Let it go. Leaders often find themselves in unique and unenviable situations. Leaders are easy targets not because they are like the brick throwers but because they are bigger. And when people throw bricks it can be a challenge. Leaders set themselves apart not when they pick up the brick with revenge in mind but a purpose. Klein’s purpose was clear. What was meant to harm is now being used to heal. The choice and the possibilities are powerful. When you learn to let it go you can go to a higher level of leadership.

Be an example. When generous people from across the country reached out through their donations she easily could have taken the money and fled. Klein’s actions are characteristic of leaders who have, through the school of hard-knocks, learned that the best revenge is to take the bricks others have thrown and do something useful. Anger and resentment toward those who wronged her would have accomplished nothing. Now, through the work of her foundation, Klein can educate others and make a difference. Klein, like all smart leaders, are empowered by adversity and use it to demonstrate what makes them so special. With your bricks you can build or bash, what will you do with yours?

Live your values. By choice and for little pay, Karen Klein worked as a school bus monitor because she cared. The way in which she responded to the bullying is testament to her character. Adversity did not shape her values it merely revealed them. The fact that she would take $100,000 and start an anti-bullying foundation should come as no surprise.

Here is a leadership truth worth remembering: values do not change with your circumstances but give you clarity when they do. In good times and in adversity your values shape you as a leader and as an organization.

Let’s be clear—bricks hurt. We don’t like being attacked. But when you learn to let it go, lead by example, and live your values there is a satisfaction and peace that gives you the courage to lead.

*This column originally appeared in the International Business Times
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Doug’s new book, Great Leaders Wanted! is now available. Visit www.dougsmanagementmoment.blogspot.com to order your copy today!

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Five Leadership Lessons from Gabby Douglas

Posted August 5, 2012
by dougdickerson

Leadership is the capacity to translate vision into reality – Warren G. Bennis

One of the emerging stars of the 2012 London Olympic Games is Gabby Douglas. If you missed her performances with her teammates, the Fab Five, you missed quite a show. Douglas won the gold medal in the all-around contest and in the process gave NBC some of its highest ratings.

The poise of Douglas during the competition and in her interviews has revealed an impressive level of maturity beyond the 16-years of her youth. That she will emerge as a role model for young girls and aspiring gymnasts is a given. But her observations and reflections after winning gold are lessons not just for her generation but also for leaders in the boardroom. Here are five leadership lessons from Gabby Douglas and why they matter.

Dream big. In a first-person column for ESPN, Douglas said, “When my mom first took me to [Lin] Chow’s gym two years ago, she told him I wanted to be an Olympic champion someday. He told her he would do his best. He jokes now that he wasn’t so sure he could do it.”

Douglas’ dream was to be an Olympic champion. Through dedication and hard work she made her dream come true. In leadership, the difference between those who dream and those who achieve is found in the work ethic. Gabby had the right work ethic; all successful leaders do. What is your big dream?

Work through the pain. Growth and accomplishment don’t come without setbacks, sacrifice, and pain. Gabby writes, “When I first got here to London, I was in some pain from a tweaked muscle. I was feeling a little down. But Chow reminded me that everyone has pain.” Successful leaders also know pain but understand that it’s part of the growth process.

Gabby had to work through the pain to get to the gold. It’s what successful athletes and leaders do. The old adage, “No pain, no gain,” is a reminder to persevere and reap the rewards. Don’t give up.

Be teachable. World class athletes such as Gabby Douglas would not compete at Olympic levels without the guidance and tutelage of a superior coach. And without being teachable, Gabby would not have won gold. Gabby writes, “He (Chow) pushed me so hard, and some days I would wonder, ‘Why do I have to do this?’ In the end, though, he believed in me and all the hard work really did pay off. He and his wife Li have shaped me into a better gymnast than I ever thought I could be.”

Whether you are a seasoned athlete or CEO, each level of competition and success is characterized by a willingness to learn. Raw talent has its limits, but with an open mind and teachable attitude there are no limits to the accomplishments you can achieve. Never stop learning.

Be a team player. In her essay Gabby said, “Tonight I didn’t think about avoiding mistakes-that’s what gets you into trouble. Instead, I just thought about going out there and representing Team USA, my coaches, my family and myself as I best I could. I just wanted to enjoy the moment.” Did you notice her priorities? It was team, coaches, family, and finally, self.

It’s when you think and act like a team member that you realize your full potential. Individual accomplishment is achieved in harmony with the team not with your defection from it. Give your all to your team.

Give credit where credit is due. In her first tweet after winning gold, Gabby said, “Let all that I am praise the Lord; may I never forget the good things he does for me.” Successful Olympians and leaders by nature are thankful people. In the aftermath and celebration of winning gold, Gabby had the presence of mind and wherewithal to give credit where she felt it belonged.

How about you? As a leader, it’s easy to get caught up in the excitement and celebrations of the moment and forget to thank those around you. Who are you thankful for and when was the last time you expressed it?

It takes discipline to keep the essentials of leadership front and center. Thanks to 16-year old Gabby Douglas, we’ve now been reminded why it’s important.

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Doug’s new book, Great Leaders Wanted, is now available. Visit www.dougsmanagementmoment.blogspot.com to order your copy today.

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